Full text of "Reminiscences of Michael Kelly, of the King's Theatre, and Theatre Royal Drury Lane, including a period of nearly half a century; with original anecdotes of many distinguished persons, political, literary, and musical"

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SIDNEY HOWARD COLLECTION

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REMINISCENCES

OF »

MICHAEL KELLY,

OF THE

KING'S THEATRE,

AND

"HEATRE ROYAL DRURY LANE,

INCLUDING

A PERIOD OF NEARLY HALF A CENTURY;

WITH

ORIGINAL ANECDOTES

MANY DISTINGUISHED PERSONS.

POLITICAL, LITERARY, AND MUSICAL:
SECOND EDITION.

IN TWO VOLUMES,
VOL. I.

LONDON:
HENRY COLBURN, NEW BURLINGTON STREET,

1826.

LONDON :
PRINTED BY T. BRETTKLL, RUPERT STREET, HAYMARKET.

TO THE KING.

SIRE,

I MOST RESPECTFULLY, AND DUTIFULLY,

LAY AT THE FEET OF MY SOVEREIGN THE MEMOIRS OF
A LIFE WHICH HAS DERIVED ITS HAPPIEST, AS WELL AS
PROUDEST PASSAGES, FROM HIS ROYAL CONDESCENSION
AND PATRONAGE.

YOUR MAJESTY RULES OVER MILLIONS OF
AFFECTIONATE SUBJECTS, ALL BOUND TO BLESS YOUR
ILLUSTRIOUS NAME FOR BENEFITS, EITHER CONFERRED
OR SECURED; BUT, OUT OF THAT MULTITUDE, NOT
ONE HEART CAN BEAT WITH A MORE FERVENT SENSE
OF OBLIGATION, THAN THAT OF THE VERY HUMBLE
INDIVIDUAL WHO HAS BEEN GRACIOUSLY PERMITTED,
THUS PUBLICLY TO SUBSCRIBE HIMSELF,

YOUR MAJESTY'S

EVER GRATEFUL, AND DUTIFUL

SUBJECT AND SERVANT,

MICHAEL KELLY.

CONTENTS

THE FIRST VOLUME.

THE Author's birth and parentage. The commencement
of his musical studies at the age of seven years. His
first singing-masters, Passerini and Peretti. Kane
O'Hara's puppet-show. State of Music in Dublin,
about the year 1777. Independence of Fischer, the
celebrated oboe player. Doctor Arne, the Cramers,
Tenducci, Leoni, and Rauzzini. Doctor Arne ruined
by his predilection for alchymy. Italian Opera in
Dublin. Kelly's first appearance on the stage. Miss
Brent, the original " Mandane," in " Artaxerxes."

Page 1—19

Departure of the Author for Naples. The vessel
boarded by an American privateer. Arrival at Naples.
Amusements during quarantine. Neapolitan hair-
dresser. Mass at the church of San Giacomo.
Father Dolphin. Sir William, and the first Lady
Hamilton, and their musical parties. Neapolitan
Dinner. Portici, Herculaneum, and Mount Vesuvius.
Pergolesi. French hair-dresser turned hermit.

Page 19—34

Yl CONTENTS.

Visits to Baja, Posilipo, the Grotta del Cane, and ti.
Capo del Monte. The Lazzaroni. Biting the thumb.
Lord Tylney, Lord Bristol, Bishop of Derry, and
other English of quality at Naples. Kelly placed
under Finaroli, in his musical Conservatorio. Mar-
chesi, Ansani, and Macherini, " La cantante con la
parruca" Magnificence of the ballets at San Carlo,
under Le Pique and Rossi. The celebrated Cassa-
ciello, at the Teatro Nuovo. Description of the
Theatres at Naples. Jean Cole, the famous Pulcinella.
The Author patronised by the great Neapolitan
families. Introduction to Cimarosa. Page 34° — 50

Interview with the King and Queen of Naples. Anec-
dotes of those distinguished personages. Terrific
eruption of Vesuvius, in 1 779. The Lazzaroni suppli-
cate their Saint, St. Gennaro. Father Rocco's facetious
impiety. Superb annual procession of the King,
Queen,, and Court, to La Madonna del Pie di Grotta.
Arrival of the peasantry from Abruzzo, Calabria,
and Apulia, to celebrate La Festa della Nouvena.
Dedication of the young and beautiful daughter of
the Duke de Monteleone. Cafarelli, the celebrated
soprano Page 50 — 61

Kelly's visit to Rome, with Mr. Stewart and family.
Terracina. Arrival in Rome. Piazza di Spagna.
Motley population and diversions in the Corso. The
Roman Theatres. Unceremonious critics in the pit.

CONTENTS. Vll

Ludicrous anecdotes of Cimarosa and Poggi, the
buffo-singer. St. Peter's. The houses of Raphael,
Salvator Rosa, and Gaspar Poussin. Pat O'Flanagan
and Cardinal York. The village of Frascati, the
scene of Paesiello's comic opera, " La Frascatana."

Page 61—70

Return of the Author to Naples. Pachierotti and
the beautiful Marchesa Santa Marca. Rencounter
between the former and II Cavaliere Ruffo, a lover
of the Marchesa. The Author's first acquaintance
with Aprile, under whom he afterwards studied.
Gaeta. Musical festival there. Luxury of the Monks
of Abruzzo. Failure of the miracle of St. Gennaro.
Kelly and his music-master set sail for Palermo.
Their reception by the Duke and Duchess St.
Michele, and the Prince Val Guarniera. Climate
of Sicily. Sicilian ladies. Musical quarrel between
Aprile and Signora Carara. Sicilian suppers. Mon-
strous taste of the Prince B in the furniture of

his house. Catania. Mount Etna. Annual festival
of Santa Rosalia. Jealousy of the Sicilians. The
Author in prison. Anecdotes of Signora Gabriella.
Kelly leaves Sicily Page 70 — 94

Arrival of the Author in the Bay of Leghorn. Anecdotes
of Stephen and Nancy Storace. Lucca. Pisa. Intro-
duction of Kelly to Viganoni. The festival of the
Battle of the Bridge at Pisa. The felon, Giuseppe

V1U CONTENTS.

Afrissa. Contest of ugliness between Soderini and
Favar. Arrival at Florence, and engagement to
perform there at the Teatro Nuovo. Lord Cowper,
Sir Horace Mann, Mr. Merry, the Delia Cruscan,
and Nardini, the great violinist. The Devil's Sonata.
Anecdotes of Morigi, the primo-buffo. Kelly's first
appearance on the stage at Florence, before the
Pretender. Anecdote of Morelli, the well-known
bass-singer ......... Page 94 — 111

Florence and its vicinity. Singular festival at Forligani,
in honour of Santa Massinina. Beauty of the women
at Sienna. The Author's departure from Florence,
on his way to Venice. The Apennines. Bologna la
Grassa. Kelly, and his Holiness the Pope, divide the
public attention. Theatre at Bologna. The Author

s leaves Bologna, in company with the beautiful Signora
Palmini. Ferrara. Anecdote of Ariosto.

Page

Arrival at Venice, where the Author, disappointed of
his engagement, was left friendless and pennyless.
Venetian theatres. Bertoni, Rubinelli, and Banti.
Concerts at the female Conservatories. Singular
method adopted by the audiences at Venice of ex-
pressing approbation. Anecdote of the Venetian
police. Venetian women. Adventure with a sharper.
Introduction to La Signora Benini. Change in the
Author's affairs ....... Page 122 — 140

CONTENTS. IX

Departure of the Author, and Signor and Signora
Benini, from Venice for Germany. Arrival at Gratz.
Generals Dillon, Dalton, and Kavanagh. Frolics of
the Germans at the carnival at Gratz. Gretry's
opera of " Selima and Azor." The Author compelled
to return to Italy. Phlegmatic German postillion.
Abominable roads. Anecdote of Voltaire. Palma
Nuova. Padua. Guadagni's company of puppets,
performing "L'Orfeo e Euridice." Mass, composed
by II Padre Valotti, at the Church II Santo. Kelly
arrives again at Venice. The Gondoliers.

Page 140—151

Procession of the Doge to St. Marc's in Passion- week.
The fair of the Ascension. Magnificent ceremony
of the marriage of the Doge to the sea. Conver-
saziones at Venice. Anecdotes of Sacchi, the speaking
harlequin. Dramatic pieces of Gozzi and Goldoni*
Exorbitant demand of a singer ; the biter bit. Di-
versions at Padua. Crescentini, and David, the well-
known tenor-singer. The Author's arrival at Brescia.
His escape from the assassins of II Cavaliere Manuel,
who was jealous of his intimacy with La Bella
Ortabella. Arrival at Verona, . . Page 151 — 170

Introduction of the Author to the Marquess and Mar-
chioness Bevi Acqua. Plays in the Amphitheatre of
Verona. Concerts at the prison, by the gaoler and his
family. Kelly's concert at Verona. Vicenza. Tre-

X CONTENTS.

viso. House of the late Mrs. Billington at Treviso.
The celebrated dilettante singer, La Signora Teresa
de Petris, and her Cavalier servente. An old
acquaintance at Modena. Ancient custom of em-
ploying carrier-pigeons. Ducal palace at Modena.
Arrival at Parma. Introduction to the Archduchess.
Concert at her palace. The Author and Her Royal
Highness at billiards. Anecdotes o£ the Archduke.

Page 170— 185

Grand Theatre at Parma. Jomelli's mass at the theatre.
« Madame Storace at the Theatre St. Samuel, at Venice.
Martini, the composer. The Carnival at Venice.
Anfossi's Oratorio. The Austrian Ambassador en-
gages Kelly for the comic opera at the court of
Vienna. The late Emperor of Germany, and the
French Comedians. Author's arrival at Vienna.
Introduction to Salieri. Vienna and its environs.
Intrusion of a wild boar upon the musical consulta-
tions of Salieri and the Author. Marshals Lacy and
Laudon. Anecdote of Frederick the Great.

Page 185—201

Carnival at Vienna. Procession of Sledges. The late
Emperor's mode of living. Evening visits to his
favourites, the Princesses Lichtenstein, Schwartzen-
berg, Lokowitz, and the Countess Thoun. Prince
Kaunitz. The present Emperor Francis. Anec-
dotes of Schroeder and Brockman, the celebrated

•

CONTENTS. XI

German actors. Madame Sacqui and Mademoiselle
Jacquet, in tragedy; and Madame Ademberger in
comedy Page 201 — 217

Visit to the great Haydn, at Eisenstadt. The English
Song of " Tally ho !" before the Emperor, to the
great alarm of the German ladies. Introduction to
Kozeluch, Vanhall, the Baron Dittersdorf, and the
illustrious Mozart. Anecdotes of the latter. Att-
wood, Mozart's favourite scholar. Marchesi, the
singer. Giornovick and Janewitz, the violinists.
Baron Bach. Marriage of Nancy Storace. Separa-
tion between her and her husband. Proprietors of
Covent Garden Theatre Page 21 7 — 230

His Royal Highness the Duke of York at Vienna. The
Abbe da Ponte. The " Comedy of Errors" produced
as an opera, under the title of " The Equivoci," at
Vienna, with Stephen Storace's music. Arrival at
Vienna of Paesiello, and L'Abbate Casti, the poet.
Introduction of the former to Mozart. Interview of
Casti and Paesiello with the Emperor. Casti's new
opera, with Paesiello's music. Quartett performed by
Haydn (first violin) ; Dittersdorf (second) ; Mozart
(tenor) ; and Vanhall (bass) ; Casti and Paesiello
being of the party. The Author's successful mimicry.
Galas at Vienna and Schoenbrunn. The son of

Prince P apprehended for forgery.

Page 230—242

CONTENTS.

Palace at Luxemburgh. Sumptuous treatment of the
performers in the Italian opera at the palace. Si-
gnora Storace and the Emperor. Condescension of
His Majesty towards the Author. Prince Ponia-
towski. Kelly's dress publicly criticised at Vienna
by an Irishman and his English companion. The
eccentric walking Stewart. A German blue-stocking.
Mrs. Piozzi. Extravagant pay of Madame Bas-
tardini at the Pantheon in London. Gluck's " Iphi-
genia and Alceste." Gluck's adoration of Handel.
Paesiello's " Barbiere di Siviglia." Contest between
Regini, Salieri, and Mozart. Triumph of the latter.

Page 242—255

First performance of the " Nozze di Figaro." The Author
the only survivor of all the original performers in that
exquisite opera. Enthusiastic applause of the au-
dience in the presence of Mozart. Mr. Linley and
Mr. Sheridan offer to treat with the Author for an
engagement at Drury Lane. English at Vienna:
Lord Belgrave, and his tutor, Mr. GifFord; Lords
Bernard, Dungarvan, De Clifford, and Carberry ;
Earl of Crawford ; Sir John Sebright ; Col. Lennox,
Sic. &c. Anecdote of George the First. Horse-
racing, under the direction of the English Gentlemen,
who rode their own matches. . . Page 255 — 262

The Author entreats leave of the Emperor to go
to England. Condescension and kindness of His

CONTENTS. Xlll

Majesty. Kelly relieved from his losses at play by
Nancy Storace. Waylaid by two German noblemen,
who were jealous of the Author and the Countess of

S . The art of lamp-smashing introduced by

the English bucks at Vienna. Adventure of Stephen
Storace at a ball. The Author takes leave of Mozart,
and, with the Storaces, and Attwood, departs for
England Page 262— 274

A German journey. Mozart's father, and Haydn's
brother. Saltzbourg. Concert at the Archbishop's
palace. Gallantry of his Holiness. Munich. The
Author's and Mr. Attwood's foot-race in the gardens
of the Niemptenburg palace. Raff, the celebrated
tenor-singer. Concert at Munich. Frantzl, the
eminent violinist. Augsburg. Dancing-ladies. Sun-
day-evening balls. The Author's adventure in the
Black Forest, in company with Attwood and Stephen
Storace Page 274 — 281

Italian opera at Stutgard. Cafarelli, Jomelli, Hasse,
and Graun. Splendour of the ballets, under the cele-
brated Noverre. The elder Vestris. Le Pique
and Duberval. Concert at Strasbourg. Introduc-
tion to Pleyel. Madame Dugazzon, the French
actress and comic singer. Town of Nancy. Arrival
at Paris Page 281 — 284

Faubourg St. Germain. Versailles. Chaste salute of

TOL. I. b

XIV CONTENTS.

the dames de la hallc. Theatres at Paris. Splendid
performance of Gluck's " Iphigenia." Sacchini's
(Edipe. Cheron, the bass-singer. Madame St. Auberti.
French Comedy. Clairval in Gre try's " Richard
Cceur de Lion." Boulogne. Dover. Arrival in
. London, in 1787. Introduction to Mr. Linley and
his accomplished daughters, Mrs. Sheridan and Mrs.
Tickell. John Kemble's singing in " Richard Coeur
de Lion!" Mrs. Jordan and Mrs. Crouch. Ora-
torios at Drury Lane. Madame Mara. The Au-
thor's unlucky opinion. His first appearance in
Lionel and Clarissa Page 284 — 292

Jack Johnstone and Mrs. Billington, in "Love in a Vil-
lage." Jack Long, the eccentric Irishman. A guinea
put up to auction. The Rev. Father O'Leary and
whisky punch. John Philpot Curran. O'Leary and
Dr. Johnson. First appearance of Storace at the
Opera House, in Paesiello's " Schiavi per Amore."
Commemoration of Handel. Madame Mara's sub-
lime singing Page 292— 290

Fine taste of his late Majesty, in a suggestion as to the
manner of performing the chorus, " Lift up your
heads." The Author and Mrs. Crouch leave Lon-
don for Dublin. Their warm reception at the theatre.
Holman, the actor. The " Masque of Comus." Mrs.
Crouch in Euphrosyne. Introduction of Martini's
Italian duet, adapted to the words, " Oh, thou wert

CONTENTS. XV

born to please me." Great popularity of the air.
Departure from Dublin for York. Page 299 — 303

Introduction to Tate Wilkinson. Anecdotes of that
eccentric individual. Winter campaign at old Drury.
Revival of " Selima and Azor." The Author's adven-
ture with two young ladies. The late Mr. Cobb and
Pilon, the French poet. Anecdotes of Parsons, the
comedian. The Author resigns his situation in the
Italian Opera of the Emperor of Germany. Madame
Mara, and Monsieur Ponte, the French-horn player.
Reconciliation between the Author and Madame Mara.
The Opera House destroyed by fire. Page 303 — 316

Shakspeare's Jubilee. Miss Pope, and the awkward
dramatic amateur. Revival of " The Tempest," with
Purcell's music. First performance of" The Haunted
Tower." The author engaged at the Ancient Concerts.
Harrison, the well-known tenor singer. The laughing
song in " L'Allegro." Irish wit. Anecdotes of John
Palmer. Musical Festival at Norwich. Quarrel
between Giornovick and Shaw, the leader at Drury
Lane. " No Song, no Supper," performed for the
first time for the Author's benefit. Page 316—329

First year of George Colmasi the Younger 's manage-
ment at the Haymarket. Death of Edwin. Beard,
the English tenor singer. Concert at Cannons, for
the benefit of the poor at Stanmore. Col. O'Kclly,

XVI CONTENTS.

Superfluous vocal question by Madame Mara. Charles
Bannister and Robin Hood. Margate. The Author,
Mrs. Crouch, and Johnstone, exert themseves to serve
an unfortunate and .destitute young woman. The
sharper outwitted. Bannister's imitation of Captain
Barnes, an eccentric Irishman. . . Page 329 — 337

Mrs. Siddons at Calais. Irish brigade at Lisle. Mili-
tary ardour of Sir Watkin Lewes. The Chevalier
St. George. John Kemble. Cambray. Chantilly.
Taris. Revolutionary orator, in the person of the
Author's valet. Unlucky head-dress of Mrs. Crouch
at the grand opera. La Rive, the celebrated French
actor. Dick England and Viper Jackson at Paris.
The National Assembly. Gretry's opera, " La
Caravane." " Blue Beard," in Paris, and at Co vent
Garden. Return to England. . . Page 337 — 349

ERRATUM.

Page 110, line 21; for « natural daughter,'* read " wife."

REMINISCENCES

MICHAEL KELLY.

THE following Memoirs of an active life have
been thrown together, somewhat in the manner of
a journal ; incidents are recorded as they occurred,
— scenes are retraced which have long since passed,
— and characters recalled to literary life which have
long quitted this sublunary stage. I aim at nothing
but setting down facts as I remember them ; and
thus deprecating the severity of criticism by a
candid avowal of my object, proceed, without fur-
ther preface or apology, to my narrative.

I was born in Dublin. — My father, Thomas
Kelly, at the period of my birth, was Master of the
Ceremonies at the Castle, and a wine merchant of
considerable reputation in Mary Street. He was

VOL. i. B

2 REMINISCENCES OF

known for bis elegant and graceful deportment,
and no lady would be presented at tbe Irish Court,
who had not previously had the advantage of his
tuition. My mother's name was M'Cabe ; she was
of a very respectable family in the county of West-
meath. At a very early age, she was placed for
education in a Roman Catholic convent on Arran
Quay. My father (who was of the same religious
persuasion,) having a young relation placed also at
this convent; when visiting her, had many opportu-
nities of seeing Miss M'Cabe, and the results of

those meetings were, — a mutual attachment, an
elopement, and a marriage. Her father, who was
extravagantly fond of her, soon pardoned the run-
aways, and, as a proof of the sincerity of his for-
giveness, added to it oJP.SjOOO, which was considered
no mean fortune in those days !

My father and mother were both excessively fond
of music, and considered to sing with taste: all
their children (fourteen in number) evinced musical
capabilities, and I, the eldest of the family, was,
at three years old, daily placed with the wine on
the table, to howl Hawthorn's song in Love in a
Village, " There was a Jolly Miller,1' for the enter-
tainment of my father's company ; for company,
unfortunately for his family, he had every day;
and no man in the city, so justly renowned for
hospitality, gave better dinners or better wine.

MICHAEL KELLY. 3

At the age of seven I began to learn music.
My first master's name was Morland ; — he was the
very prototype of his namesake the painter ; a
wonderful genius. But dissipation was his idol,
and he who might have selected the very best
society, preferred that of the lowest orders. He
was continually in a state of whiskey-punch intoxi-
cation.— He would sleep all day in a cellar, and I
have often heard him say, somewhat nationally,
that his morning began at eleven oVlock at night /

His first visit was generally to our house, for he
was partial to my father, or rather to his currant
whiskey, and so anxious was my father that I
should receive instruction from him, that I have
been kept up till one o'clock in the morning on the
mere chance of getting a lesson. My improvement
under him was rapid, and before I had attained my
ninth year, I could execute with precision and neat-
ness Schobert's Sonatas, which were then all the
fashion. I also possessed a soprano voice, on which
my father was determined to bestow every possible
cultivation. My first singing masters were Signor
Passerini, a native of Bologna, and Signor Peretti,
who was a vero mu&ico. He was the original
Artaxerxes when the opera of that name was
first performed at Covent Garden ; he taught me
the beautiful air, " In infancy our hopes and fears,1'
which was composed for him, and it made an

4 REMINISCENCES OF

impression on my mind never to be forgotten. — He
had a fine contre altro voice, and possessed the true
portamento so little known in the present day. He
also taught me the song of Arbaces, " Amid a
thousand racking woes," which I executed with
the greatest facility : but the songs which delighted
me most were, " Oh too lovely, too unkind," and
" Oh, why is death for ever late ?" I never sang
those without tears. Another great favourite of
mine was that in Lionel and Clarissa, composed by
Galupi. — By the way, all the Lionels of the present
day think proper to omit that fine song ; perhaps
they are right, and for the reason once given to
me by an Irish post-boy, whom I was scolding
fgr not driving faster ; he turned round, and ex-
claimed, " By Jasus, master, it is not an easy thing
to work hard.""

I was sent, with my brother Patrick, to the best
academy in Dublin, kept by Doctor Burke, a cler-
gyman of the Church of England. He was a worthy
man, and considered an excellent scholar. His
daughter was one of the first piano-Jforte players
of the day. The late Mr. Francis Goold, and Mr.
Thomas Goold his brother, the Irish barrister, were
on the same form with me. At a beautiful villa,
which their accomplished father had near Dublin, I
frequently spent the vacations with them. Mr.
Goold was an excellent judge of music, of which

MICHAEL KELLY. 5

he was very fond, and all the men of genius then
in Ireland used to meet at his house on Sundays.
Kane CVHara, the ingenious author of Midas, had
a puppet-show for the amusement of his friends ;
it was worked by a young man of the name of Nick
Marsh, who sang for Midas and Pan. He was
a fellow of infinite humour ; his parody on " Shep-
herds, I have lost my love," was equal to any
thing written by the well-known Captain Morris ;
and with many others of equal merit, will be long
remembered for the rich vein of humour which
characterises it. The love of company, joined to
a weak constitution, condemned this truly original
genius to an early grave, regretted by all who knew
him. In the performance of this fantoccini I sang
the part of Daphne, and was instructed by the
author himself ; the others were by other amateurs.
It was quite the rage with all the people of fashion,
who crowded nigbtly to see the gratuitous per-
formance.

About this time I changed my singing-master,
and was placed under Signor St. Giorgio, who was
engaged at the Rotunda ; his voice was not power-
ful, but he possessed exquisite taste. He was an
honest man, and married a widow with large pro-
perty, previously to which, he, Signor Carnevali,
Signor Micheli, and Signor Sensi, got a ^.30,000
prize in the lottery, a piece of good fortune of which

6 REMINISCENCES OF

lie was very deserving, and I believe is still living
to enjoy. gninno'hoq lo 'iijonoff

Trifling occurrences during childhood often in-
fluence our future lives. I recollect once, when
returning from a visit to a relation of my mother's,
I saw Signor St. Giorgio enter a fruit-shop ; he pro-
ceeded to eat peaches and nectarines, and at last
took a pine apple, and deliberately sliced and ate
that. This completed my longing, and while my
mouth watered, I asked myself why, if I assiduously
studied music, I should not be able to earn money
enough to lounge about in fruit-shops, and eat
peaches and pine apples, as well as Signor St.
Giorgio. I answered myself by promising that I
would study hard; and I really did so; — and,
trifling as this little anecdote may appear, I firmly
believe it was the chief cause of my serious reso-
lution to follow up music as a profession ; for my
father had other views for me. His intention was to
place me under Surgeon Neale, one of his oldest
and most intimate friends, who, independently of
his profession, ranked as one of the first violin
players of his time ; he had a most powerful hand,
and his tone, expression, and taste, nothing could
surpass.

His celebrity for playing Correlli's and Gemi-
niani's music was so great that, singular to say,
in the year 1787 he was commanded by King

MICHAEL KELLY. 7

George III. to go to London, where he had the
honour of performing before His Majesty several
times, and His Majesty expressed the greatest
approbation of his extraordinary powers. He was
a constant visitor at our house, and took great pains
with me, particularly in the song of " Prudente mi
chiedi," in Metastasio's opera of II Demofoonte,
which was composed by Vento, and sung by the
famous Mansoli, at the King's Theatre many years
before*.

Dublin, in those days, had to boast of much
musical excellence. The greatest performers in
Europe, who came to London, were engaged there
in the summer season by the governors of the
principal charities, who were also managers of the
Rotunda Concerts. I can remember at different
times that Mr. and Mrs. Barthelemon, (Barthele-
mon was a fine performer of the old school, on
the violin,) Le Vacher, Pepe, La Motte, Cramer,

* When I was first at Florence, I had the gratification of
hearing that great and celebrated performer sing it, which he
did at the particular request of Signer Veroli and myself. I
also sang it to him with the English words, " Oh, talk not to
me of the wealth she possesses," and he seemed much pleased.
Having returned to Italy with a princely fortune, Mansoli pur-
chased an estate within a few miles of Florence, where I dined
with him : he spoke of England with admiration, and expressed
great gratitude for the attention and applause he received at the
Opera House, and in concerts.

8 REMINISCENCES OF

Salomon, Pinto, and alt the most celebrated violinists
of the day; not forgetting two Irishmen, honest
Sam Lee (father to Mr. Lee, who now keeps a
music-shop in Dublin,) and Mr. Mountain, who
also kept a music-shop, and was an excellent violin
player, and a very worthy man*.

They also brought Ritter, the finest bassoon
player I ever heard; Crosdil, on the violoncello,
who was unrivalled on that instrument, and is still
alive and merry; and though last, not least,
Fischer, the great oboe player, whose minuet was
then all the rage ; he was a man of singular
disposition, and great professional pride. Being
very much pressed by a nobleman to sup with
him after the opera, he declined the invitation,
saying, that he was usually very much fatigued,
and made it a rule never to go out after the
evening's performance. The noble lord would,
however, take no denial, and assured Fischer

* Mr. Mountain, who formerly led the Covent Garden Band,
and at present leads that of the English Opera with so much
ability, is a son of this gentleman. His wife, Mrs. Mountain,
was for many years a principal singer at Covent Garden and
Drury Lane, where she was deservedly a great favourite. Mrs.
Billington was an ardent admirer of hers, and spoke of her
talents with unfeigned praise. She has retired from the stage, I
sincerely hope with competence and happiness. A son of Mr.
and Mrs. Mountain is in the service of Government, in the
Admiralty.

MICHAEL KELLY. 9

that he did not ask him professionally, but merely
for the gratification of his society and conversa-
tion. Thus urged and encouraged, he went; he
had not, however, been many minutes in the
house of this consistent nobleman, before his
lordship approached him, and said, " I hope,
Mr. Fischer, you have brought your oboe in
your pocket." — " No, my Lord," said Fischer,
" my oboe never sups." He turned on his heel,
and instantly left the house, and no persuasion
could ever induce him to return to it.

The singers, or, as they are now called, vocalists,
at these concerts were numerous ; among them
were a Miss Jameson, a pupil of Doctor Arne, who
sung " The Soldier tired" with much applause;
and Mrs. Cramer, (first wife of the celebrated
leader, and mother of John Cramer and F. Cramer,
the esteemed successor of his father, celebrated for
his performance on the piano-forte, and compositions
for that instrument ;) a beautiful woman, a charm-
ing singer, and a distinguished professional favourite
of Tenducci, Leoni, and Rauzzini.

Speaking of Signor Rauzzini, whose name is
familiar to all who have lived in the musical
world, it may not perhaps be considered irrelevant
to say a few words of his early career. He was a
native of Rome, and made his first appearance on
the stage there, at the Teatro della Valle. He«

B 5

10 REMINISCENCES OF

was a great musician, had a fine voice, was very
young, and so proverbially handsome, that he
always performed the part of the Prima Donna;
—at that period no woman was permitted to appear
on the stage at Rome*. His reception was highly
flattering, and he afterwards performed in all
the principal theatres in Italy. The Elector of
Bavaria, who expended immense sums on liis
Italian opera, invited him to Munich. His success
at that court was, as usual, unqualified. But, alas !
his beauty was his bane ! an exalted personage
became deeply and hopelessly enamoured of him,,
and, spite of his talents, it was suggested to him
that a change of air would be for the benefit of
his health. He took the hint, and left Munich :
he then engaged himself at the Italian opera in
London, where he attained the highest reputation
both as a singer and composer ; and his acting
in Pyramus, in the opera of Pyramus and Thisbe,
was so fine, that Garrick has often complimented
him on it.

I was now taking lessons from Doctor Cogan*)- on
the piano-forte. His execution on that instrument

* The present Pope has, I perceive, issued a veto against the
performance of women on the stage, to take eflect after the 1st
of January, 1826.

t Doctor Cogan is still living in Dublin ; he has good health
and independence, and is an hospitable worthy fellow, highly
esteemed by all his connexions.

MICHAEL KELLY. 11

was astonishing, and his compositions, although
not generally known in this country, possess great
merit. The whole phalanx of musical talent which
I have mentioned, frequently visited at my father's
house, and I was so fortunate as to be taken great
notice of by Rauzzini, during his stay in Dublin'
He gave me lessons, and taught me several songs,
particularly that beautiful air of his own, which he
sang divinely, " Fuggiam da questo loco, in piena
liberta," 'which the late Mr. Linley introduced into
the Duenna, with Mr. Sheridan's words, " By him
we love offended.""

Rauzzini was so kind to me, and so pleased with
the ardent feeling I evinced for music, that, pre-
viously to his leaving Ireland, he called upon my
father, and said, " My dear Sir, depend upon it
your son will never follow any profession but that
of a musician; and as there is no person in this
country who can give him the instruction he
requires, you ought to send him to Italy. He is
now at the time of life to imbibe true taste, and
in Italy only is it to be found. If you send him
to Rome, let him study under Latilla ; if to
Naples (the better place of the two) send him to
either of the Conservatorios ; — the head master at
St. Onofrio is Monopoli* ; at the other, La Madonna

* Monopoli was a sound musician ; his church music was
in great repute iii Italy. Stephen Storace was one of his
favourite pupils.

REMINISCENCES OF

di Loreto, Finaroli is master. This celebrated
Conservatorio produced Scarlatti, Duranti, Por-
pora, (at that time the greatest of all singing
masters,) Pergolesi, Jomelli, Cimarosa, Paesiello,
and a long list of celebrated men: let him go
there, and depend upon it he will one day repay
you for it."

This advice made a deep impression on my
father, particularly as a similar opinion had been
given by Sir William, then Mr. Parsons, the late
musical composer and magistrate of Bow Street,
who had studied music in Italy, and was, at the
time I speak of, in Ireland on a visit to his friend
and patron, Mr. Henery.

My father consulted my mother, who would not
hear of such a proposal. She had but a few months
before parted with my brother Patrick, for whom
my father had procured a cadetship in India — and
I cannot but think of my mother's kind feelings
towards me, with affection and gratitude — as for
my brother, poor fellow, we never saw him more.
He was esteemed a brave soldier ; and was much
beloved for his goodness of heart and companion-
able qualities, for he sang sweetly, and with great
taste ; but poor Patrick was cut off in the flower
of his youth, — he was killed at the storming of
Seringapatam, when a captain in the East India
Company's service.

MICHAEL KELLY. IS

About the period at which Rauzzini gave my
father the advice I have mentioned, Mr. Ryder, the
comedian, brought over a singer, of the name of
Webster, to Smock Alley Theatre ; with him came
a lady whom he called his wife, but who was really
the wife of Battershill, a musical composer, from
whom she had eloped with Webster. She was a
fine-looking woman, and played Lucy, in the
Beggar's Opera, and Jenny, in Lionel and Clarissa ;
but however, charming as she was, she soon left
Webster, and Mrs. Baddely came to supply her place.

My father had a private box at the theatre,
and my mother, passionately fond of theatricals
herself, often took me to the play. From the
time I first saw him act, nothing ran in my head
but Webster, unless, indeed, it was the desire of
going on the stage. I used to look at him with
wonder, when he was performing M acheath ; and
those who recollect him in that character will agree
with me that it certainly was a masterly performance.
He had a fine figure, with a marked and rather
handsome countenance; his voice was a fine baritone,
with a sweet falsetto, of which, being a good
musician, he made a judicious use, particularly in
" The Charge is prepared;" indeed, I think it
impossible that his performance of this character
can be surpassed. Whatever little credit and indul-
gence I received when I performed Macheath, at

14 REMINISCENCES OF

Drury Lane, I owe in a great measure to my
recollection of him in the part; and I avow the
same obligation to his Lionel, which was a chef-
fceuvre.

About the time of which I am now speaking, a
third theatre sprang up in Fishamble Street, under
the Lord Mayor's licence; the managers were
Vandermere and Waddy, who had deserted from
Smock Alley, and taken with them a large portion
of the company. To oppose them, Ryder brought
over Michael Arne to produce Cymon : his wife
performed in it, and it brought great houses. Eut
Arne, not content with being one of the greatest
musical geniuses the world ever produced, wished
also to possess the philosopher's stone ; and, fancying
himself a great alchymist, actually took a house at
Richmond, near Dublin, and, neglecting all his
pupils, gave himself up to a scientific search after
gold. The consequences were ruin and a spunging-
house. He was under articles to compose an opera
for Covent Garden ; and my father, knowing this,
sent him in his confinement, a piano-forte, supplied
him with wine, &c. and while in " durance vile," he
composed some beautiful music. In return for this
kindness, he gave me a lesson every day, and, after
his release, continued particularly attentive to me.

It was also about this period that a Portuguese,
who called himself II Cavaliero Don Pedro Martini,

MICHAEL KELLY. 15

came to Dublin : he played the Spanish guitar
delightfully, and succeeded in ingratiating himself
with the Duke of Leinster, Earl of Westmeath,
Lord Belmont, and most of the leading people. He
persuaded them that Dublin and Edinburgh were
the only capitals where there was not an Italian opera,
and proposed to engage Smock Alley Theatre, and
bring a comic Italian company, to give operas twice
a week. He consulted my father on the subject,
who, conceiving the scheme likely to succeed, gave
him encouragement, and promised him all the assist-
ance in his power.

The Portuguese procured a large subscription,
took the theatre, and brought over the company,
amongst whom were La Sestini, the best buffo of the
day, Signer Pinetti, a Venetian, a most excellent
actor, Signor Fochetti, a powerful primo buffo, with
a fine bass voice ; Signers Savoy, Peretti, &c. &c.
and a second and third woman. Signor St. Giorgio
conducted at the piano-forte, and Signor Georgi led
the band, which was strengthened by many per-
formers from London. The etiquette was, that the
band in the orchestra, as well as the company in the
boxes and pit, should be fully dressed. Bags and
swords were then the order of the day : the prices
were, boxes and pit, half-a-guinea ; first gallery,
five shillings ; and the upper one, three shillings.

The first opera was L* Isola d' Alcina, composed

16 REMINISCENCES OF

by Gazzaniga; there was some beautiful music
in it. Pinetti, who in Italy was celebrated for
his performance of French characters, played the
Frenchman in the opera admirably.

The next opera was Paesiello's La Frascatana ;
the houses were unusually crowded. La Buona
Figliuola, PicewTs popular opera, was put into
rehearsal at the express desire of some of the old
conoscenti who had seen it performed in London.
Lovatino was the cavalier, (and I am informed,
never was equalled in singing " E pur bella e la
Cecchina ;"") Morigi, the German soldier ; Micheli,
the gardener ; Savoy, the Count ; La Samperini,
Cecchina, Sec. Sec.

Expectation was on tiptoe to hear this opera in
Dublin, as it had been quite the rage in London ;
when a circumstance occurred which threatened its
being laid aside ; namely, the severe illness of
Signor Savoy, who was to have performed the
Count, a part of the greatest importance to the
opera, and written for a high soprano voice. As
there was no professional man to do it, the Por-
tuguese turned his thoughts towards me, and offer-
ed my father his own terms, for I was well versed
in the Italian language. He was backed in his
application by the Duke of Leinster, Mr. Conolly
of Castle Town, and several others, who were ever
kind and partial to me. They all seemed to feel

MICHAEL KELLY. 17

assured that if I undertook the part, I should gain
both credit and emolument. This induced my poor
father to listen to them ; particularly, as he had
made up his mind to send me to Naples, and was
actually in treaty with the captain of a Swedish
vessel, bound thither, to take me as a passenger.

I was delighted when I found that I was to per-
form on the Italian stage, and counted every tedious
moment while studying the part. At length, how-
ever, the awful night arrived ! The house was
crowded, and I received great applause. I had a
powerful treble voice, pronounced Italian well, and
was tall for my age, and acquitted myself beyond
the most sanguine expectations of my friends. The
opinion the foreign musical men gave of my abilities,
of course, weighed greatly in my favour.

A circumstance now took place, which had nearly
terminated my theatrical career. II Cavaliero Por-
tuguese, who had given the company to understand
that he had all Peru and Mexico at his com-
mand, turned out to be a needy Chevalier d'ln-
dustrie, and would not pay them. They all struck ;
" point "d'argent, point de Suisse," was their motto.
Pinetti, when he found he could get no money,
set off for England with Fochetti, and without those
two principals, it was impossible to get up an opera ;
so the rest of the Italians followed their leaders,
dispersing, some to England, others to Scotland,
&c. &c.

18 REMINISCENCES OF

Ryder, who then had Crow Street Theatre, had
entered into a fresh engagement with Michael Arne
for three nights, to revive Cymon. Mrs. Arhe
(his second wife,) was a sweet singer, and being
also a very pretty, petite figure, was very popular
in Silvia*. They thought that I might be an ad-
ditional attraction, and proposed to my father that
I should play Cymon the three nights, and choose
any character I pleased for the fourth, which should
be given to me free of all expense, as a remuneration.

My father considered very wisely that, as every
thing was arranged for my voyage to Naples, it was
as well for me, or rather for him, (for / thought .of
nothing but the rapture of again shewing myself on

the stage,) to accept the proposal.

» v r i r a

I played Cymon three nights, and on the fourth,

Lionel, (or, properly speaking, Master Lionel,) for

* The first wife of Michael Arne was a scholar of Doctor
Arne's, at the same time with Miss Brent, for whom the Doctor
composed the character of Mandane, in Artaxerxes. It is said
that Doctor Arne translated Artaxerxes from the Italian of
Metastasio into English ; if he did, it was highly to his credit, for
some of the thoughts are rendered beautifully ; one for instance,
from Mandane ; in the Italian it is,

" Si piange di placer come d' affanno."
which is translated thus,

" Pleasure maj start a tear as well as grief."

Dibdin composed his Leonora in the Padlock for the first Mr&.
Arae, when Miss Wright.

MICHAEL KELLY. 19

my own benefit. The house was crowded in every
part. I was successful in my songs, and acted the
part decently, recollecting well all the points Web-
ster had given in it*.

is! On the first of May, 1779, with an aching heart,
I parted with my father, mother, and family, and
sailed on board a Swedish merchantman, accom-
panied by a young Irishman, intended for the
Roman Catholic church ; and with a fair wind, left
the kind and hospitable shores of my native
country, and I may safely say, quitted it with no
little fame; for although not fifteen, I had earned

* The opera was cast thus : —

•

Lionel, Master KELLY,

(Being tbe last night of his appearing on the stage previous to
his going to Italy.)

Sir John Flowerdale, . . Mr. HEAPHY.
Jessamy, Mr. O'KEEFE,

(The celebrated dramatic writer.)

Harman, Mr. GLENVILLE.

Colonel Oldboy, . . . Mr. WILDER.

Jenkins, Mr. BARRETT.

Lady Oldboy, ; . . . Mrs. HEAPHY.

Diana, Miss JAMESON.

Jenny, Miss TISDAL.

Clarissa, Mrs. ARXE.

The Band : — At the piano-forte, Michael A me ; Leader, the
celebrated Pinto. First oboe, Mr. Bartlett Cooke, father to my
friend, Mr. T. Cooke, of Drury Lane Theatre, whom I greatly
esteem for his private worth, and high and diversified talents,

20 REMINISCENCES OF

sufficient money to pay for my voyage to Italy,
and for my maintenance and musical education for
some time after my arrival there.

I was so fortunate as to have letters of recom-
mendation to Sir William Hamilton, at that
time English charge d'affaires at the Court of
Naples, and to Father Dolphin, a Dominican
friar, who was to be my " guardian, protector,
and guide."

As good piano-fortes were in those times scarce
every where — in Italy particularly, my father
bought a grand one, made by one of the first Lon-
don makers, which turned out in every respect
excellent, and which, with a few books, English
and Italian, he gave me. My mother furnished me
with plenty of good sea store, ten guineas in my
pocket, arid a gold watch. I had besides, a letter
of credit, which I was to deliver to Father Dolphin,
who had instructions to pay my allowance according
to circumstances.

The following occurrence which took place
during my voyage, I would omit, if it could
not be well authenticated both in Naples and
Dublin.

My father had a small country house near
Drumcondra, with an extensive garden; his gar-
dener, whose name was Cunningham, had a son, a
very fine young man, who was a great favourite

MICHAEL KELLY.

with all the family, and received many marks of
kindness from my father, which he repaid to me
when a child, by continued acts of affection. Poor
Jack, however, degenerated, became a drunkard,
associated with depraved companions, and left my
father's service ; shortly after, he was implicated
in a burglary, tried, and transported to America.
This made a grievous impression on me at the time,
as I recollected, with gratitude, the apples and
plums which had been gathered for me by poor
Jack Cunningham.

My voyage took place during the American war,
but the ship I was on board of, being a Swede, was
under a neutral flag ; yet, in the Bay of Biscay we
were hailed by an American privateer. Our cap-
tain lay to, while a set of the greatest ragamuffins
my eyes ever beheld, boarded us. They swore the
vessel was under false colours, and proceeded to
overhaul the captain's papers, and seize every thing
they could, lay hands on. A sturdy ruffian began
to break open my piano-forte case with a hatchet,
which, when I saw, I manfully began to weep,
and cry out, " Oh ! my dear piano-forte," &c. &c.
The cabin boy, who was about my own age, called
out, " For God's sake, don't cry, MASTER KELLY."
The chief mate of the privateer, who was quietly
perusing some of our Captain's papers, on hearing
these words, turned round, and looking stedfastly

REMINISCENCES OF

at me, said, "Is your name Kelly ?" I answered
u Yes/' Do you know any thing of a Mr. Thomas
Kelly, of Mary Street, Dublin?" said he.—" He is
my father," was my reply. The young man imme-
diately started up, ran to me, clasped me in his
arms, and with tears in his eyes, said, " Don't you
remember me? I am Jack Cunningham, who,
when you were a little boy, nursed you and played
with you." He seemed quite overcome by the un-
expected meeting, and made the most affectionate
inquiries about my family, when, after examination,
the Captain finding that our vessel was really a
neutral, left us. Jack again embracing and blessing
me, took leave of me, and we soon lost sight of
them. I never heard of him more. The next
day we were boarded and examined by an English
sloop of war, and our Captain gave information of
the route of the American, which I honestly con-
fess, if I had fancied it could have hurt poor
Jack Cunningham, I should have been mightily
sorry for.

To those whose health would be benefited by
sea-sickness, I can safely recommend the ungentle
exercise of the Bay of Biscay ; — there is little chance
of failure. After we left it, however, we had very
fine weather for some time, and the islands of Mi-
norca, Majorca, and the coast of Africa, though at
a great distance, were noble objects.

MICHAEL KELLY. 23

When we had passed the Island of Ischia, we
encountered a tremendous storm : actually alarmed
by , the violence of the tempest and appearance of
the sea, which ran mountains high, I retired to my
cot, and spite of terror and sea-sickness, fell fast
asleep. I was awakened by the cabin-boy on the
following morning, the 30th of May, 1779, who, to
my great joy, told me that we were in the Bay of
Naples.

The astonishment and delight I experienced when
I got on deck, can never be effaced from my recol-
lection. The morning was beautiful ; I was restored
to health, and safe in the wished-for port.

The Bay, full of shipping, the Island of Caprea
where Augustus and Tiberius once held their revels ;
to the West the Isles of Procida, and Ischia, the
picturesque and varied scenery of Pozzuoli, Posi-
lipo, so celebrated for La Grotta del Cane and
Virgil's Tomb, the King's Palace at Portici, the
Campagna Felice, the Castle and Fort of St. Elmo *,

1 QHll !\J * 1

* The Castle of St. Elmo is the strongest fortification the
Neapolitans have. It stands on an eminence, said to command
the finest view in the world ; near it, lower down, stands the
Carthusian convent of St. Martino. The fraternity are supposed
to be very rich, and are celebrated for the excellence of their
gastronomy. Their confectionary, wines, and dinners, are of the
first order, but only to be got at by a card of admission from the
Prime Minister ; this is delivered to a lay brother, who shew*

REMINISCENCES OF

the terrific Vesuvius, the delightful coast of Ta-
rentum, the Castel a Mare, and the City of Naples,
with its numerous palaces and convents, have
beauties far, far beyond my feeble powers of de-
scription.

Before we entered the Mole, the officers of health
came on board, and gave us the pleasant informa-
tion, that as there was a report that the plague was
raging on the African coast, we must perform qua-
rantine before we were suffered to land.

An old tatterdemallion was put on board our
vessel, to prevent our escaping to the shore : he

the bearer the chapel and all that is curious, after which, he is
invited to an excellent repast, for which they are forbidden to
receive any remuneration.

In consequence of the great height of the Castle of St. Elmo,
vessels can be distinguished at an immense distance. This is
rendered of great utility to the mercantile part of the commu-
nity, by means of signals made, according to the custom of all
sea-ports, from the Castle on the approach of any vessel ; these
signals consist of balls of great size, projected into the air, the
number of which signifies the description of vessel ; whether
frigate, sloop of war, merchantman, &c. £c. at the same time
the colour of the nation to which she belongs is hoisted. Thus,
a merchant, while transacting business in any part of Naples,
may know what ships, and of what nations, are entering the
Bay, long before they reach the Mole. The first object of my
attention every morning, was the signal station, and my first walk
was on the Mole. The sight of an English vessel was a reward
for days of watching.

MICHAEL KELLY. 25

was an inexhaustible source of amusement to me ;
for although his clothes were all in tatters and
patches, and spoke " variety of wretchedness," he
wore his hair in an enormous bag, and carried a
tremendously long sword by his side, of which I
now almost wonder he did not give me a taste ;
for, if the truth must be told, I was very mis-
chievous, and he, a particularly good subject for my
mirth.

When Father Dolphin heard of my arrival, he
came alongside, accompanied by another Friar, and
a Mr. Fleming, a cadet in the Irish brigade, a
worthy good Irishman. He was my daily visitor ;
and, what with the wines which we purchased from
the boatmen, the delicious fruits, and good society,
our bondage was not altogether unpleasant. Added
to all the other agremens, was the beautiful pros-
pect around us ; alongside of us was a Venetian
vessel also under quarantine, on board of which
were several Italian singers, dancers, &c. on their
way to the theatre at Palermo, and two brothers,
very fine French horn players ; besides many other
passengers. In the evening they danced or sang
on deck, and played duets on the French horns,
while the Mole was crowded with all ranks of
people to enjoy the sea breeze ; so that the whole
scene was delightful.

At length the time of our release arrived ; and

VOL. i. c

J2 REMINISCENCES OF

my friend, accompanied by another Irish gentle-
man, called Plunket, also a cadet in the Irish
brigade, (in one of the regiments of which his elder
brother was Colonel,) took me on shore to an hotel
near the Largo di Castello, kept by an Irish woman,
married to a Neapolitan, an egregious rogue, but
who possessed the pleasing art of speaking English
very well.

I ordered a hair-dresser, at that period an indis-
pensable appendage to a man's establishment ; and
shortly a very well-dressed person, with his hair
in a bag, and a sword by his side, entered my
room ; on inquiring his business, he informed me
he was the barber, come according to orders, to
adorn me alia moda di Napoli. I at first felt
abashed at the idea of employing so fine a gentle-
man in such a capacity, but I soon became recon-
ciled to the national gaiety ; for the very beggars,
with hardly any clothes to their backs, had ragged
bags tied on their hair.

Accompanied by Fleming and Plunket, I went
to hear mass at the church of San Giacomo, and
after this, made my first visit to the worthy Father
Dolphin. He was prior of the Convent of St.
Dominick, a fine pile of building, close to the gate
through which runs the road to Capua, and also
to the Conservatory of La Madonna di Loreto.

I found him in his study, which opened into a

MICHAEL KELLY.

spacious garden, and everything around him breathed
piety, benevolence, and content ; he was about
seventy years old, but full of health and ac-
tivity.

He received me with the greatest kindness, and
after reading my letter of credit, introduced me
to two Friars of his order; one of them, called
Plunket, whom I often see in London even now ;
the other, named M'Mahon, whom I saw the last
time I was in Dublin, at the Friary in Denmark
Street ; they were both Irishmen, as I need hardly
mention, considering their names.

The first advice the Father gave me, after taking
some chocolate and snow water, was to present
rny letter to Sir William Hamilton, and to make
up my mind in which Conservatorio I should like
to be placed. He gave me the choice of three,
St. Onofrio, La Pieta, or La Madonna di Loreto.
At St. Onofrio, Signor Monopoli was the head
master; at La Pieta, Signor Sala, who had never
produced a melody worth hearing, though the first
counterpointist of the day ; and at La Madonna di
Loreto, Finaroli, a first-rate composer of church
music. He had also written several serious operas ;
and several great composers were his scholars,
amongst them was Cimarosa.

Having heard Rauzzini speak of him as a
great master, I gave the latter the preference ; but

REMINISCENCES OF

Father Dolphin desired me to ask the opinion of
Sir William Hamilton, and be guided by it.

I immediately waited on Sir William, and pre-
sented my letters; when he had read them, he
received me most kindly, and assured me that he
should be happy to give me any advice as to the
line I ought to pursue, and render me every service
in his power.

Sir William having invited me to dinner that
day, I returned, and was introduced to the first
Lady Hamilton. The taste and partiality for music
of this highly-gifted person, are too well known
to need a remark from me. At that period she
frequently gave concerts, to which all the best per-
formers were invited. She was herself considered
the finest piano-forte player in Italy.

After dinner, at which I had the honour of being
introduced to the late Duke of Bedford, there was
music. The celebrated Millico accompanied him-
self on the harp in the charming canzonetta, " Ho
sparse tante lagrime ;" his singing was enchanting.
I was asked, and sang Rauzzini's song, " Fuggiam
da questo loco," and " Water parted from the sea,"
accompanying myself on the piano-forte. I seemed
to give general satisfaction, and Signer Millico, in
particular, said many kind things. He told me he
had often heard Tenducci sing " Water parted,1"
in England. — Signer Borghi, who was afterwards

MICHAEL KELLY". 29

stage-manager at the Pantheon, when the Opera
House was burned down, had just arrived from
England, and was also of the party*.

At parting, Sir William desired me to call upon
him at eight o'clock the following morning ; I did
not, however, arrive till a quarter before nine. On
entering the breakfast room, I found with him
Mr. Drummond, his physician, and a couple of
antiquaries; his table was covered with cameos,
intaglios, and lava. As soon as I entered the apart-
ment, he said, " My good boy, you were to have
been here at eight : it is now three quarters of an
hour past ;" and added, looking very seriously at
me, " if you do not learn to keep time, you will
never be a good musician." Through life, I have
recollected that hint.

When we were alone, he desired me to give
him a candid detail of my views and intended
pursuits, and which way my own inclinations lay.
I told him all the circumstances which had preceded
my leaving Ireland, and that my father's wish and
intention were, that when I had finished the study
of composition in Naples, I should return to
England, and become a composer and teacher.
I also told him that I feared the profession,

* The operas at the Pantheon were conducted by the Dufcje of
Bedford, Lord Salisbury, and Mr. William Sheldon, an eminent
solicitor, and a worthy man.

30 REMINISCENCES OF

towards which my own inclinations strongly led,
the stage, would be my father's aversion. With
respect to money, I informed him that my annual
allowance, while pursuing my studies, was to be
two hundred Neapolitan ounces, (80Z. English) to
be paid monthly by Father Dolphin.

When we spoke of musio, I mentioned my wish,
that Finaroli should be my master ; he said, " My
good lad, it is impossible to choose a more able
instructor, or a better man. I know him intimately,
and will introduce you to him,, and recommend
you to his care; but when you begin, you must
bear in mind that nothing is to be done without
steady application : your inclination for the stage
you must smother for the present; your youth,
and the unsettled state of your voice, should pre-
clude all thoughts of that ; a year or two may do
much for you."

" However," he continued, " as it is natural for
you to wish to see the sights of Naples, take a
fortnight's pleasure. Your friend Fleming is a
worthy man; he speaks the language, and knows
where every thing remarkable is to be seen, and no
doubt will take care of you. Give my compliments
to the worthy prior, and ask his permission; and
recollect, as Gay says, ' to-day for pleasure, to-
morrow for business;1 when once we begin, we
must work hard."

MICHAEL KELLY.

He shook me by the hand, and saying, " be
prudent," gave me a purse of twenty ounces, to
pay, as he said, for my calashes.

I repeated this conversation to Father Dolphin,
who entirely approved of Sir William's advice ;
and giving his consent for a fortnight's pleasure,
with his blessing and best wishes, advanced me
six ounces, which he thought an ample disburse-
ment for my menus-plaisirs during that period.
Mr, Fleming consented to accompany me in my
rambles, and I was as happy as an emperor.

To commence; — we dined at the St. Carlino
tavern, opposite the King's palace; we had an
excellent dinner of maccaroni stufato, bouilli,
stewed veal, fried calamara*, a roasted chicken,
salad, cheese, fruit, biscuits, two bottles of wine,
a cup of coffee each, and a glass of chasse caffe,
with iced lemonade, &c. for eigh teen-pence each.

M\J *

* The Calaraara, or Ink Fish, is as great a favourite with the
Neapolitans, as it was with the ancient Romans. An Italian
told me that he had once eaten it many years before at Brighton ;
I was for several seasons inquiring for it there in vain. At
length an old fisherman brought me one ; — even he had never
heard of its being eaten, or eatable, for when caught there
it is always thrown away. It is quite black, but when washed,
near a pint of ink comes from it, and it appears like snow ;
when fried, it eats like a veal cutlet, and is a great luxury.
On the 25th of September, 1819, I had one, and my friends,
who partook of it, said it was delicious.

32 REMINISCENCES OF

But as George Colman says in his Mountaineers,
" Those days are past, JFloranthe." If they were
not, what a delicious place of residence would
Naples be for my old friend Pope, who joins to his
talents as an artist and an actor, a share of judgment,
experience, and taste in culinary matters almost
unequalled.

The next morning we went to Portici, and slept.
We saw the theatre at Herculaneum, which had
been buried sixteen centuries ; and passed under
vaults to view it by torch-light ; — while wandering
about the galleries, I was of course obliged to
express surprise and pleasure ; but in truth I washed
myself away, for there were neither singers nor
dancers, nor pretty women there, and I never had
any taste for antiques.

We returned to sleep at Portici; the next
morning, we had an excellent breakfast of ham,
fresh figs, and a bottle of lagrima Christi *. After
discussing which, Fleming and myself mounted our
donkies, and, accompanied by our guides, began
the ascent of Mount Vesuvius. We passed through
fields covered with fig and mulberry trees, and our

* As I was brought up a rigid Roman Catholic, I was shocked
at the name given to this delicious wine ; but in time my scruples
were overcome, and now often take a bottle with my esteemed
friend, Mr. Savory, of Bond Street, who has some of a superior
flavour, imported by himself from Naples.

MICHAEL KELLY.

guide pointed out the favorite retreat of Pergolesi,
the great composer. Here he was said to indulge
his fatal tendency to melancholy ; yet, perhaps, had
he not been of that melancholy temperature, he
would not have composed his celebrated " Stabat
Mater dolorosa," or his intermezzo, " La Serva
Padrona," both of which I heard with such delight
at Naples.

He died at the early age of twenty-seven ; it was
supposed by poison, given by a brother composer,
jealous of his transcendent talents *. -

We had some conversation with the hermit who
lived on the mountain ; he was a Frenchman, and
said to have been formerly a hair-dresser in
London ; whether this be fact or not, I cannot
say ; the subject was much too delicate to touch

* I never heard the following truly poetic lines, written by
Mr. Rogers, author of the Pleasures of Memory, set to music
and sung with exquisite pathos by my ever.lamented friend
Mrs. Crouch, without thinking of poor Pergolesi's untimely
death.

" Go, you may call it madness, folly,
You cannot chase my gloom away.
There's such a charm in melancholy,
I would not, if I could, be gay.

" Ah ! did you know what pensive pleasure
Rends my bosom when I sigh,
You would not rob me of a treasure
Monarchs are too poor to buy."

c 5

34 REMINISCENCES OF

upon with a recluse in such a situation. The
mountain seemed in a most villainous humour,
emitting flames and large bodies of lava. I soon
had enough of it, and was right glad to find myself
once more at Portici, with a supper of red mullet,
&c. before me : — the next morning we returned to
Naples.

The two following days we dedicated to Baja,
and its burning sands. The view of Naples, and
indeed every thing except the people, was luxurious
and beautiful ;-*-they were wretched. One miserable
object pointed out the different situations of the
villas of Caesar, Mark Antony, and Cicero. All
this was, I knew, very fine, and very classical ; but
to me, at that period, a complete bore : it was not
my gusto to " shun the busy haunts of men," nor
of women ; and a petticoat in a populous street in
Naples, was to me the finest sight in the world;
but I had no wish to accomplish the Neapolitan
proverb, — Vedi Napoli e poi mori * ; i. e. see
Naples, and then die.

This Neapolitan saying has two meanings attached to it :
" Vedi Napoli e poi mori,"
" See Naples, and then die."

Again,

" Vedi Napoli e poi Mori,"
" See Naples, and then Mori."

Mori is the name of a little island near Naples ; which island
the Neapolitans think so beautiful that no place after it is worth
viewing.

MICHAEL KELLY. 35

Our next visit was to Posilipo, and the Grotta
del Cane. The Grotta di Posilipo, which leads
to it, is so dark, that even by daylight, torches are
necessary ; the peasantry, when driving their cattle
through this subterraneous passage, which they are
obliged to do when going to or leaving Naples, call
out to each other, " Keep to the rock side," or
" Keep to the sea side," to avoid coming in contact.

We ascended the mountain of Posilipo, and
entered Virgil's tomb ; saw the stoves, the sulphu-
reous vapours of which rise from the earth, and are
so hot that eggs may be boiled in them.

At a little distance from the stoves is the Grotta
del Cane ; the keeper of the dog, who is the great
actor of the scene, orders the poor animal to lie
down in the cave ; the vapour acts upon it almost
instantaneously ; the body swells, the creature falls
into strong convulsions, and after a violent struggle,
appears dead. The keeper then draws him out
into the open air, which speedily restores him, and
he very wisely takes to his heels. This ]*altry and
cruel experiment astonished me exceedingly at the
time.

We now went to the Capo del Monte, and
dined there with a friend of Fleming's. We were
told that the king's intaglios and cameos were kept
there ; — our host shewed us some fine pictures, by
Schidoni (a pupil of Correggio). His passion and

36 REMINISCENCES OF

forte were to paint the Lazzaroni, who swarm
about the Chiaja and Santa Lucia, and the Largo
di Castello. They are a fine hardy race of men, and
it is calculated, amount to fifty thousand. It can-
not be ascertained how the greater number of them
find subsistence, as those who work at all will
only do so to earn as much as will keep them from
starving. With scarcely any covering, they sleep
on the steps of the church doors, or in the street.
Their favourite spot, however, is the Largo di
Castello ; there they literally swarm, and pass the
whole day playing the game of mora ; or, by way
of variety, listening to some ragged fellow near the
Mole, who recites lively stories from Boccaccio, in
the Neapolitan jargon, and perhaps sings the verses
of Tasso, or Ariosto, or details the feats of Masa-
niello, the rebel fisherman.

All the time he exhibits, they sit round him with
fixed and mute attention. I have myself often
stopped to listen to the half-naked improvvisatore,
and have been delighted by his dry humour and
inimitable gesticulation. After entertaining them
for hours, he thinks himself repaid amply, when
they give him a coin called a callo (about half a
farthing) each*.

The game of mora is played by two persons ; they both hold
their right hands, with their fingers extended, then each

MICHAEL KELLY. 37

The Lazzaroni are dreadful thieves; but theft
they mildly denominate sleight of hand. I once
saw one of them pick a gentleman^s pocket of a
handkerchief at one end of the Largo di Castello,
and offer it to him for sale at the other ; yet had the
pillaged man, or any other person, spoken, or even
made a motion expressive of displeasure at the bare-
faced infamy of the action, it is a thousand to one
but that he would have been stillettoed on the spot.
They are indeed such a formidable and united body,
that the King himself finds it politic to persuade
them that he feels flattered by being called their
captain.

It is remarkable, that notwithstanding the vices
of these people, and the extraordinary cheapness
of wines in Naples, I never, during my sojourn
there, witnessed a single instance of intoxica-
tion*.

contracts one, or as many of his lingers as he likes, calling out
at the same time the number which he guesses will be the
amount of his own and his adversary's contracted fingers,
this they both do at the same moment, and very quick ; who-
ever guesses rightly, scores one, which is done by holding out
one finger of the left hand ; the game may be five or ten, or more
as agreed upon.

* The Neapolitans in general hold drunkenness in abhorrence.
A story is told there of a nobleman, who, having murdered another
in a fit of jealousy, was condemned to death. His life was of-
fered to him on the sole condition of his saying, that when lie

38 REMINISCENCES OF

The Neapolitans are proverbial for their gesti-
culation : if you ask a man in the street what
o'clock it is, he looks at the sun, and by his fingers
makes you understand the hour, but does not con-
descend to speak. The natives of every part of
Italy are perfect mimics ; and the strongest indi-
cation of either menace or revenge you can receive
from an Italian, is to see him bite his thumb at
you. Our immortal Shakspeare was well aware
of this, when he wrote the quarrelling scene be-
tween the servants in the tragedy of Romeo and
Juliet; there, Gregory, Capulet's servant, says, " I
will bite my thumb at him ; which is a disgrace to
them if they will bear it."

Malone, the commentator, says, that this mode of
quarrelling appears to have been common in England
in our author's time ; as Decker, describing the
various groupes that daily frequented the walks
of St. Paul's Church, says, " What shouldering,
what jostling, what jeering, what bitings of thumbs,
to beget quarrelling ;" — yet I think it but fair, to

committed the deed, he was intoxicated. He received the
offer with disdain, and exclaimed, "I would rather suffer a
thousand deaths than bring eternal disgrace on my family, by
confessing the disgraceful crime of intoxication !" He persisted,
and was executed !

What a pity this poor fellow had not lived a few years hi
England or Ireland — we manage those matters better !

MICHAEL KELLY. 39

suppose that Shakspeare knew it was also an action
adopted to " beget quarrels,"" in Verona, where the
scene of the play lies, otherwise the coincidence
would be remarkable.

Another trait of national character, which Shaks-
peare has ably displayed, is in the Merchant of
Venice. In former times, as in the present, a Nea-
politan nobleman was extremely proud of his horses,
and made them the principal topic of his discourse.
In the scene where Nerissa recounts the names of
her various suitors to Portia, she says, " First,
there is the Neapolitan prince ;" Portia replies,
" Ay, that's a colt indeed, he doth nothing but
talk of his horses."

The mode of living of the Neapolitans at first
was disagreeable to me. They are very early
risers; and at noon flock to the coffee houses,
shops, promenades, Sec. ; the streets are crowded
with monfcs, abbes, mountebanks, and lawyers *.
Twelve o'clock is their usual hour for dinner, after
which they take the siesta, rising usually an hour
or two before sunset, and repairing again to the
coffee houses to eat ice, which is in Italy beyond

* It is calculated that in the kingdom of Naples only, there
are twenty thousand lawyers, most of them younger branches
of the nobility, whom poverty condemns to the bar. There U
no nation, however large, in which so jmany lawsuits are car-
ried on.

40 REMINISCENCES OF

conception fine. Their chocolate, melons, grapes,
peaches, &c. are delicious ; my favourite was the
harlequin, which is a mixture of all, served up in a
silver cup, piled like a pagoda, which cost then only
twopence English.

Even the Lazzaroni have their cooling luxuries ;
at the corner of every street, there are stalls,
belonging to venders of water melons, iced and
lemonade water, crying out, " Bella cosa e T acqua
fresca!1' (What a beautiful thing is fresh water).
For a novo callo (half a farthing), a man, at the
time I am speaking of, could get a large glass of
iced water, with the juice of a lemon, and a slice
of water melon in it.

The favourite drives of the nobility are the Molo,
and along the shore to Posilipo ; there they
enjoy the sea breeze in their carriages. It is only
the very commonest people who go on foot ; a Nea-
politan gentleman would be branded with disgrace,
if he were caught committing the heinous misde-
meanour of using his own legs.

Some of their equipages are very handsome ; all
had two running footmen, who ran before the car^
riages with incredible speed ; many of the richer
nobility had four.

My Lord Tylney, who had resided in Italy for
many years, and spent his princely fortune between
Florence and Naples, appeared on the drives on gala

MICHAEL KELLY. 41

.days, in great splendour ; I have seen him drawn
by six beautiful English cream-coloured horses ! he
had four men before his carriage, and a great num-
ber more behind.

His Lordship gave splendid dinners, concerts,
and balls, which were frequented by all the English
of consequence resident at Naples. I have seen
there Sir William Hamilton, Lord Bristol, who was
also Bishop of Derry, Lord and Lady Maynard, and
a number of fashionables of different nations.

After having taken my full swing of sight-seeing,
and having spent Sir William's money, in and out
of calashes *, I thought it full time to wait upon
him. I accordingly did so, and received his promise
to introduce me the following day to Finaroli, which
he did.

Finaroli was a light, sprightly, animated little

* Calashes are to be found at the corners of all the principal
streets in Naples. A calash is a small narrow gilt chair, set
between two wheels, and without springs, drawn by one horse,
which is guided by a cord tied round its nose, without bridle or
bit. The driver, who usually wears his hair in a net, sometimes
sports his night-cap, with a gold-laced hat over it, gets up
behind, and, to do you honour, endangers your neck, driving
helter-skelter through the streets, even through the Toledo
Street, the longest and most populous one in all Naples, I think
as long as Oxford Street, and actually swarming with friars,
lawyers, and Lazzaroni. All the time he bellows, with the lungs
of a Stentor, " Make way there for my Lord Anglais !"

REMINISCEKCES OF

man, about fifty : he heard me sing, and was
pleased to say, I evinced promising abilities; he
took me to see his Conservatorio, in which there
were between three and four hundred boys ; they
studied composition, • singing, and to play on all
instruments. There were several rooms, but in the
great school-room, into which I was introduced,
there were some singing, others playing upon the
violin, hautboy, clarionet, horn, trumpet, &c. &c.
each different music, and in different keys. The
noise was horrible; and in the midst of this terrific
Babel, the boy who studied composition was ex-
pected to perform his task, and harmonize a melody
given him by his master. I left the place in dis-
gust, and swore to myself never to become an inmate
of it.

I acquainted Father Dolphin with my feelings
on the subject, and the dislike I had to walk in the
processions after the host, and wear the dress,
which all who enter the Conservatorio must do*.

On his representing this to Finaroli, he answered,

* On or after the 17th of October, the boys of the three
Conservatories are obliged to attend morning and evening, for
nine days, at the Franciscan Church in their dresses. It is by
attending this festival, and performing without remuneration,
that they are exempt, by the king's permission, from all taxes
on provision and wine, which are paid by every other class ei
inhabitants.

MICHAEL KELLY. 4S

" I have taken a liking to the boy, and will receive
him as an inmate : he shall have a small apartment
on the ground-floor of the house where I live, and
eat at my table. In addition to this, he will have
the benefit of visiting the Conservatorio daily, and
receive all the advantages of a scholar, without
being obliged to put on the dress or perform the
duties."

My English piano-forte was of little use to me,
as Finaroli had made it a sine qua non, that I should
give up all thoughts of being a performer on it ;
indeed, all Italian masters think it highly prejudicial
to die voice.

My master introduced me to the directors of
the different theatres, and I had the entree of
them all.

At San Carlo's are performed grand serious
operas, (the other three theatres are for the opera
buffa,) the first I saw there was Metastasis Olim-
piade, the music by Metzlevisic, a German of great
musical celebrity. I thought it very fine, and the
performance exquisite.

The celebrated Marchesi, the first soprano, per-
formed the part of Megacle ; his expression, feeling,

and execution in the beautiful aria, " Se cerca se
dice T amico dov1 e," were beyond all praise. An-
sani, then the finest tenor voice in Europe, was
there; and Macherini his wife, was the principal

44 REMINISCENCES OF

female singer ; she had a very sweet voice, but small,
and of limited compass ; the Neapolitans called her
" La cantante con la parruca," from her wearing a
wig, in consequence of her head being shaved during
illness, previous to her engagement ; but they liked
her in spite of her wig !

Nothing could surpass the splendour of the
spectacles they produced, or the beauty of their
ballets. Le Pique was their first ballet master,
Rossi the second, — both great artists. Madame
Rossi was the principal female dancer amongst a
crowd of talent.

The first ballet I saw was Artaxerxes. Le Pique,
the Arbaces ; Madame Rossi, Mandane ; and Ar-
tabanes, Richard Blake, an Irishman, who went
abroad very young, and had become a very fine pan-
tomime actor, and was considered the best grotesque
dancer of his day.

The decorations of this ballet were magnificent ;
one in particular struck me. In the opera of
Artaxerxes, on our stage, in the scene where Arta-
banes makes Arbaces exchange swords with him,
and receives the bloody one, he comes on at the side
scene, which is very poor. In the ballet, the scene
is placed in the middle of the stage, the galleries
over each other, with apartments opening into them,
are before you ; you see Artabanes rush out of the
^chamber of Xerxes, having murdered him, and fly

MICHAEL KELLY. 45

across the different galleries, pursued by the guards
of Artaxerxes, with lighted torches ; he makes his
escape by a private door into the royal [gardens,
where he meets Arbaces.

•The manner in which this scene was managed,
was powerfully effective. I cannot conceive why,
on our theatres, it might not be equally so, except,
indeed, that the stage at San Carlo is of an immense
size, capable of bearing and working any machinery,
and besides, opens at the back towards the sea, and
because it seems that the English theatres would
not risk the expense.

The « Rape of the Sabines," and " La Disfatta
di Dario (the defeat of Darius), were also splen-
didly got up, as ballets. In the latter, in the battle
between the armies of Alexander and Darius,
eighty horses were introduced, and the whole
arranged with the greatest skill. There were four
hundred persons employed in it. I recollect there
was a comic ballet, called the " Achievements of
Don Quixote," in which my friend Blake shone con-
spicuously as Sancho Panza.

Four times in the year this magnificent theatre
is illuminated ; viz. on the evening of the birth-day
of the King of Spain, and on those of the King,
Queen, and Prince Royal of Naples.

In this vast edifice there are seven tiers of boxes;
in the front of each box is a mirror, and before each

46 REMINISCENCES OF

of those, two large wax tapers ; those, multiplied
by reflection, and aided by the flood of light
from the stage, form a blaze of splendour perfectly

dazzling.

i i ni* 1 f cfYim'tti

Each box contains twelve persons, who have

commodious chairs, &c. ; at the back of each of
those, on the principal tiers, is a small room, where
the confectioner and pages of the proprietor wait,
and distribute sweetmeats and ices to the company
in the boxes, and any of their friends in the pit,
whom they choose to recognize.

There are sixteen rows of seats in the pit, forty
seats in each row ; they are fitted up with stuffed
cushions and rests for the arms, like chairs. When
any one takes a place for the night, he receives a
key of it ; and when he leaves the theatre, he locks
the seat up again, and returns the key.

On all gala days, the King, Queen, and all the
Court attend in full dress ; at which times the
coup cPceil is magnificent *.

The Teatro Fiorentino is the most fashionable
for the comic opera ; it is about the size of the little
theatre in the Haymarket. The first opera I saw
there was the " Italian in London," (from Voltaire,)
composed by Cimarosa. From this drama the

* This fine theatre has been since destroyed by fire ; but
I understand that one, if possible more splendid, is built on the
same spot.

MICHAEL KELLY. 47

eider Colman took the plot of his comedy of the
" English Merchant."

They had at that time excellent performers. The
celebrated Genaro Luzzio was the primo buffo, arid
the principal female, La Coltellini, was delightful,
both as a comic actress and singer.

At the Teatro Nuovo, another comic opera house,
but by no means as good as the former, acted the
celebrated Cassaciello, the idol of Naples. When-
ever he appeared on the stage, the house was in a
tumult of applause ; and though he gave his recita-
tion in the Neapolitan jargon, there never was a
greater favourite, nor one more deserving of favour.

There were also two principal female singers,
the Benvenuti, sisters and beauties; one of them
had to boast of having in her train, the young
Marchese Sambuco, son of the then prime minister

ef Naples.
•*•

Here I saw the first representation of Paesiello's
comic opera, " II Socrate Imaginario," (The ima-
ginary Socrates). Cassaciello performed Socrates
to admiration. I was informed that Garrick, having
seen him in Naples, on his return to England,
said, that the best comic actors he had ever seen,
were Cassaciello in Naples, Preville at the Comedie
Francaise in Paris, and Sacchi, the harlequin, at
Venice.

Another theatre, called II Teatro del Fondo,

48 REMINISCENCES OF

had closed before my arrival in Naples. It is consi-
derably larger than the two of which I have just
spoken — the principal buffo, named Buonaveri, was
an excellent actor as well as singer. He had lately
returned from Russia, where he had amassed a
large fortune. The tenor singer was Signor Men-
gozzi, a sweet voice, replete with science and great
taste. But the delight of the Lazzaroni, and the
common people in general, was Jean Cole, the
famous Pulcinella. He performed twice a day in
a little theatre called Saint Carlino, on the Largo di
Castello. The house was always crowded ; and
even the King and Court frequented it, to enjoy his
comic powers.

Whatever Jean Cole said, was received with
rapture. Once, when the King was at the theatre,
he was performing in the piece, called " Pulcinella
in Disgrazio," — " Pulcinella in Disgrace ;" in
the midst of a dialogue with another actor,
he exclaimed, " Oh, Naples ! Naples ! dear,
dear Naples ! beautiful Naples ! I shall never
see thee more ! How happy I was in thee ! My
royal and gracious master, the King, used to order
maccaroni, lagrima Christi, and other dainties to be
sent to me ; but, alas ! that is over ! he has for-
gotten the good custom, and poor Pulcinella !
oh ! poor Pulcinella !"

The King laughed heartily, and taking the hint,

MICHAEL KELLY. 49

the next morning sent Jean Cole a massive silver
tureen filled with maccaroni.

Carliiio, of the Comedie Italienne, in Paris, was
an actor in Jean Golems line, and equally celebrated
and followed. He likewise performed twice a day.
He had an extraordinary facility in seizing and
introducing the flying gossip of the moment. The
report of the day always found an evening circula-
tion through Carlino.

But I apprehend that I am wandering a little
from my subject ; considering the subject to be
myself, that, perhaps will be forgiven : however, to
return to Naples — I continued to go on attentively
receiving instructions. By day I studied with
avidity and ambition, but in the evening followed
my own devices, or was kindly introduced by my
master to families of distinction. I was honoured
by the patronage of the Princess Belrnonte, Princess
Ghigi, the Duchess of Castel Duoro, Marchese del
Vasto, Marchese St. Marca, and a long list of
nobility. In their houses every evening after a
little music, a Faro, or Basetta bank, was held by
the proprietor of the mansion. They also played at
Berabis, or Lotteria. Indeed, the whole delight of
the Neapolitans, high and low, seemed to be
gambling of one sort or another.

The house I frequented with the greatest pleasure,
was that of La Signora Moretti. She was a very

VOL. I. D

50 BEMINISCENCES OF

charming person, and (which was not her least
recommendation to me) an excellent judge of music,
and a good singer and performer on the piano-forte.
I frequently had the pleasure of meeting there the
celebrated composer, Cimarosa, who had been the
favourite scholar of my master, Finaroli. It was a
great treat to hear him sing some of his comic
songs, replete with humour and taste, accompanying
himself. Amongst other professors frequently
assembled there, I saw, one evening, Signor Di
Giovanni, who many, many years afterwards, was
my deputy stage-manager at the King's Theatre,
and who had just then returned from Poland.

About the month of July the King and Queen
usually went to Posilipo, and in fine weather
had concerts in the open air. To one of those I
was taken by Sir William Hamilton, who did me
the honour to introduce me to their Majesties
as a lad from Ireland, come to study music in
Naples. The first question the King asked, was,
"Ne; siete Cristiano?" "I say, are you a
Christian ?" — " I hope I am, Sire," was my
reply. Shortly afterwards he commanded me to
sing an English song, and I put forth my strength
in " By him we love offended," from the Duenna.
Her Majesty then ordered an Italian air, and I sung
u Ho sparse tante lagrime ;" they seemed pleased,
and her Majesty, after asking me with great affa-

MICHAEL KELLY. 51

bility, how I liked Naples, where I lived, who was
my instructor, &c. invited me to take some ice and
a glass of Maraschino. I need not say with what
pleasure I obeyed the command, nor how much my
young mind was elated at her Majesty's conde-
scension.

Her Majesty had a fair complexion, and beau-
tiful hair. It was said at Naples, that she bore
a strong resemblance to her mother, Maria Theresa,
Empress of Germany. I confess I did not think
her particularly handsome. She had the character
of a busy meddling woman, and the reputation of
governing the King and kingdom completely ;
indeed, in all matters of business he was accustomed
to refer to her, saying, " Go to the Lady, she
understands affairs better than I do;*1' and judging
by all I ever heard on the subject, he was in the
right .'

The King was very tall, near-sighted, with very
light eye-brows, and remarkably fair hair. He
was very partial to theatricals, and when he went to
Caserta (one of his palaces), in which there was a
beautiful little theatre, he often condescended to act
in burlettas with the Queen. They uniformly took
the parts of the principal Buffo and Buffa; the
graver and more important characters were filled
by the Lords and Ladies of the Court.

His Majesty was a man of excellent heart, of

REMINISCENCES OF

which the following well-known, well-authenticated
fact gives proof: —

When making a tour of Italy, his brother-in-law,
Joseph II. Emperor of Germany, met him at Milan.
Joseph's acuteness led him to suggest many altera-
tions in the internal government of the kingdom,
most of which would have been improvements ; but
some of them, although very advantageous to the
revenue, threatened to press somewhat hardly upon
the subject. " I flatter myself I live in the hearts
of my people,1'* was the king's reply ; " and I never
will disturb their happiness by any thing which
looks like oppression. I find in my dominions
numerous natives of other countries, many poor
and wretched ; but in all the cities I have visited, I
have neither seen nor heard of one Neapolitan in a
similar situation, — a proof, as I think, that they
find more comfort and encouragement in their own
country than elsewhere, which illustrates the old
Neapolitan proverb : — " Chi sta bene non si muova,"
(Those who are well should not change).

Had tliis monarch possessed the advantages of a
common education^ he might have done much for
his country ; but it was with difficulty he could
even write his name, and, consequently, he left
every thing to the Queen, the Marquis Tanucci, his
former and but too indulgent tutor, and the Che-
valier Acton, an extremely clever man and minister,

MICHAEL KELLY. 53

and, above all, as it was said, a great favourite with
Her Majesty.

The King, uneducated as he was, was proportion-
ably fond of field sports ; he was perpetually hunting,
shooting, or fishing, in which exploits he was
usually accompanied by Sir William Hamilton, to
whom he was very partial. Upon these occasions
His Majesty would go out into the Bay, with a
large escort of fishermen, and not return until a
quantity of fish was caught, which was sent to
Santa Lucia (the fish-market), for sale. The con-
vents had the first choice, the remaining part went
to the best bidder, and the money arising from the
sale was distributed amongst the poor.

Another of his amusements was, the game of
Pallone, which he often played in a court built for
that purpose, in the Largo di Castello ; and any
person decently dressed, was admitted to see him.
One day, when I was amongst the spectators, he
came to me, and asked whether I had ever seen the
game played in England. But skilful as he was at
this amusement, he performed one feat which sur-
passed all competition ; — I mean, the eating mac-
carom, of whioh he was very fond. This exhibition,
I honestly confess, surprised me most of any thing
I had ever seen either of a king or a subject. He
seized it in his fingers, twisting and pulling it about,
and cramming it voraciously into his mouth, most

REMINISCENCES OF

magnanimously disdaining the use of either knife,
fork, or spoon, or indeed any aid except such as
nature had kindly afforded him.

In the month of August, 1779, which will be
remembered, for their lives, by all those who chanced
to be in Naples at that period, happened one of the
most terrific irruptions of Vesuvius that ever was
recollected by man. At that time, a great fair was
held in the Piazza St. Ferdinando, and the Largo
di Castello ; I was at the fair when the mountain
first began to throw forth its lava, and, during the
whole duration of the irruption, I was permitted to
be near Sir William Hamilton, and this was indeed
a most fortunate circumstance for me, for, inde-
pendent of his scientific knowledge, he was re-
spected by all the better classes, and a favourite
with the Lazzaroni into the bargain, who often
lamented that " so good a man must be eternally
punished, since he was a heretic.

Vesuvius continued to throw up such abundance
of lava, that had the wind been in a different direc-
tion, Naples and Portici must have been swallowed
up ; for, on the opposite side, whole villages, vine-
yards, &c. were destroyed. During two days the
scene was most appalling, — horror and dismay were
in every countenance, and despair in every heart.

The Lazzaroni, as usual, appealed to their patron
saint and protector, St. Gennaro, and went in a

MICHAEL KELLY. 55

body to the palace of the Archbishop of Naples, to
demand the keys of the church where the figure of
the saint is kept, that they might carry him off, and
place him vis-a-vis to the villanous mountain;
well convinced, that -at the bare sight of his wooden
countenance, it would cease roaring ! The Arch-
bishop, however, having intimation of their ap-
proach, and thinking, with Falstaff, that <{ the
better part of valour is discretion," retreated by a
private way in his carriage, and set off for his
palace at Capua, too far distant to be followed by
the Lazzaroni on foot. Indeed, his Eminence had
good reasons for supposing, that had those mirrors
of integrity got possession of the saint, they might,
when he had quelled the mountain, have carried
their gratitude so far as to ease him of the weight
of diamonds and other precious gems with which
his head and body were covered : a species of toi-
lette to which his Excellency was wisely unwilling
to subject his Saintshiy?.

The Lazzaroni finding themselves disappointed,
held a council, and I saw them in an immense body
march to Posilipo, whither the King and Queen
had retired, determined to force the King to order
the Saint to be given up to them. The King ap-
peared on the balcony to address them, but in vain ;
the Queen also (enceinte) came forward, but with-
out avail. The royal guard and a Swiss regiment

56 REMINISCENCES OF

were ordered to disperse them ; but they were not
to be intimidated; neither entreaties nor menaces
could divert them from their purpose. " The
Saint ! the Saint ! give us up our Saint !" was the
universal cry. Just as popular fury was at its
height, a man appeared, whom, the moment they
saw, the wolves became lambs ; the mob fell on
their knees before him bareheaded and in total
silence. He addressed them in the following con-
ciliatory manner: —

" What do you come here for, ye infamous
scoundrels ? Do ye want to disturb your Saint,
in his holy sanctuary, by moving him ? Think ye,
ye impious rascals, that if St. Gennaro had chosen
to have the mountain silent, ere this, he would not
have commanded it to be so ? Hence ! to your
homes, ye vagrants ! away ! be off ! lest the Saint,
enraged at your infamous conduct, should order
the earth to open, and swallow you up !"

This soothing speech, aided by a kick to one,
and a knock on the head to another, (fairly dealt
to all within his reach,) dispersed them without a
single murmur ! So that what the supplication of
their Sovereign, backed by the soldiery, could not
effect, was accomplished by one man, armed indeed
with superstition, but with nothing else !

This man was Father Rocco, well known to have
possessed the most unbounded power over the lower

MICHAEL KELLY. 57

orders in Naples ; of no Saint in the calendar (St.
Gennaro excepted,) did they stand in such awe as
of Father Rocco. Pie was a sensible shrewd man,
and used the power he possessed with great dis-
cretion. He was much in the confidence of the
Chevalier Acton, and the other Ministers.

Previous to his time, assassinations were frequent
at night in the streets, which were in utter dark-
ness ; and the Government dared not interfere to
have them lighted, lest they should offend the
Lazzaroni ; but Father Rocco undertook to do it.
Before each house in Naples there is a figure of a
Madonna, or some saint, and he had the address to
persuade the inhabitants that it was a mortal sin
to leave them in the dark !

I was myself a witness of the following ridiculous
scene. One evening a groupe of- Lazzaroni were
very attentively playing at their favourite game of
mora ; beside them was a puppet-show, in which
Punch was holding forth with ail his might.
Father Rocco suddenly appeared amongst them.
The first step the holy man took, was to sweep
into his pouch all the money staked by the gam-
blers ; then, turning to the spectators of Punch, he
bawled out, " So, so, ye rapscallions ! instead of
going out to fish for the Convents and support your
families, ye must be loitering here, attending to
this iniquitous Punch ! this lying varlet T Then

D 5

5>8 REMINISCENCES OF

lifting up a large wooden cross, suspended by huge
beads round his waist, he lustily belaboured all
within his reach, lifting up the cross at intervals,
and crying out, " Look here, you impious rogues !"
" Questo e il vero Pulcinella !" " This is the true
Punch, you impious villains ;" and strange as this
mixture of religious zeal and positive blasphemy
may appear, they took their thrashing with piety,
and departed peaceably like good Catholics. I
got out of his way with great alertness, feeling no
desire to become a disciple of such a striking school
of religious instruction.

On the 8th of September, however, I saw a
religious procession which was truly beautiful.
The King and Queen, with the Court, attended
by a large body of the military, crowds of monks,
the boys of the Conservatori, &c. went, as they do
annually, to pay their respects to La Madonna del
Pie di Grotta. All the balconies of the houses in
the streets through which they passed were hung
with tapestry, rich silk, satins, &c. and the sight was
really striking and magnificent.

Another interesting ceremony, la Festa della
Nouvena, took place nine days previous. The
peasantry and shepherds from Abruzzo, Calabria,
and Apulia, upon this anniversary, come from the
mountains in their sheepskin dresses, playing on
their various instruments, some on the Zampogna,

MICHAEL KELLY. 59

(a kind of bagpipe,) others on the Colascione.
This instrument is the common one in the Neapo-
litan dominions, and is something like a guitar,
having however only two strings, tuned fifths to each
other. These shepherds visit all the churches, and
play their famous pastorale there, and at all the
principal noblemen's houses. During Christmas
the processions are to be seen, in which they per-
form ; amongst their pageantry they have move-
able stages, the machinery connected with which is
admirable, representing the birth of our Saviour,
the Virgin, &c. all as large as life. The expense
of some of these processions is enormous ; and
the " properties," as they would be theatrically
called, are constantly left in families as heir-
looms.

As my master, whose church music was highly
approved of, conducted the principal church fes-
tivals, I was allowed to sing at many of them,
being a Christian, or, as I have before explained
it, a Roman Catholic. I was delighted at this,
not for the lucre of gain, (although they pay their
singers liberally,) but because the nuns of the con-
vents where the performances take place, send round
trays full of delicious sweetmeats, made by them-
selves. Such traits of female attention were pecu-
liarly gratifying to me at that period.

The profession of a nun, as indeed many tra-

60 REMINISCENCES OF

vellers have described, is a most magnificent and
impressive sight. I£ the lady be of a noble and
rich family, the luxury displayed on the occasion
is excessive ; she is covered with diamonds, all of
which, if she does not possess them herself, are
borrowed or hired for the occasion.

Finaroli told me an anecdote so illustrative of the
ridiculous punctilio and vanities which sometimes
mix themselves with this solemn act, that I cannot
forbear repeating it.

The young and beautiful daughter of the Duke
de Monteleone, the richest nobleman in Naples,
was destined by her family to take the veil; she
consented without a murmur to quit the world,
provided the ceremony of her profession was per-
formed with splendour ; and a sine qua non was,
that Cafarelli, the great soprano singer, should
perform at it. It was represented to her that
he had retired with a fine fortune to his estate,
in the interior of Calabria, and had declared his
determination never to sing again. " Then" said the
reasonable young lady, " / declare my determi-
nation never to take the veil unless he does. He
sang six years ago, when my cousin was professed ;
and I had rather die, than it should be said, that
she had the first singer in the world to sing for
her, and that I had not !" The fair lady was firm ;
and her glorious obstinacy was such, that her

MICHAEL KELLY. 61

father was obliged to take a journey into Calabria,
when, with much entreaty, and many very weighty
arguments, he prevailed on Cafarelli to return with
him to Naples. He sang a salve regina at the
ceremony ; and the Signora having gained her
point, cheerfully submitted to be led, like a lamb to
the sacrifice, to eternal seclusion from the gay and
wicked world.

In justice, however, to her taste it must be
said, that Cafarelli was one of the greatest soprano
singers Italy ever produced. He was a Neapo-
litan, and the Neapolitans were very proud of him.
He amassed a great fortune, and purchased the
Dukedom of Dorato for his nephew, and built a
magnificent palace for himself ; over the entrance to
which, was inscribed —

AMPHYON, THEBAS,

EGO, DOMUM.

At the period of which I am now speaking,
there were amongst the English at Naples, a Mr.
Stewart and family. He had taken a house for
three years ; but he and his family were going to
spend the ensuing carnival at Rome. On my ac-
cidentally saying that, had my means permitted,
I should have rejoiced at the opportunity of seeing
that city in their company, Mr. Stewart most ge-
nerously offered me a seat in his carriage, and a
cover at his table, and to bring me back, free of

REMINISCENCES OF

all expense. I confess, my heart beat with joy
at the proposal ! I flew to my master and the
good Father Dolphin, to obtain permission for this
delightful journey, which was granted, and with a
few zecchinos on account, from the latter, com-
pleted my happiness. My friend Fleming went
with me to the Molo * to get my Neapolitan ducats
exchanged for Roman scudi ; and on the follow-
ing morning, December 26th, with a heart as light
as my pocket, I found myself seated in an excel-
lent travelling carriage, with the worthy Mr.
Stewart, his amiable wife and sister ; a courier
before, and a Neapolitan carriage with the servants
and luggage behind us; — and truth to say I never
felt more perfectly happy in the whole course of my
existence.

We passed the first night at Terracina, a dan-
gerous place to sleep at during the summer months,
as it is then rendered dreadfully unwholesome,
by what the Romans call the " mal aria."" All
the inhabitants who have the means of doing so,
leave it during that period. We however escaped,

* Near the Molo is the money market, where there were stalls,
in which the owners sat with wooden bowls before them, tilled
with the coin of every nation in the world ; there, for a small
premium, the traveller might obtain the current cash of the na-
tion he was about to visit ; and this in many instances was more
convenient than a letter of credit.

MICHAEL KELLY. 63

and arrived in Rome the following evening, and
drove to the Piazza di Spagna, where the English
usually took up their abode. The Spanish Am-
bassador always resided there, and it was so com-
pletely his territory, that he could grant protec-
tion, even in cases of murder ! Whether in com-
pliment to the Spanish Embassy, or the English
society, I know not, but unprejudiced ladies were,
in those days, not suffered to live in any other
quarter of the city !

The day after our arrival, we went to the Corso,
where the sports of the carnival were going on.
There was to be seen the whole population of
Rome, high and low, rich and poor, en masque ;
the nobility and ladies in their most slendid equi-
pages, all masqued, throwing sugar-plums to the
motley groupe below, which was composed of
mountebanks, pulcinellas, cardinals, harlequins, &c.
with music, dancing, singing. — In short, I was in
a delirium of pleasure ! Every evening, we visited
the theatres : — there are two for serious operas,
the Aliberti and the Argentina, where the best
performers are always found; indeed, should
the manager attempt to introduce any thing
inferior, woe be to him ! and, as these theatres
are only allowed to be open during the carnival,
he is obliged to pay enormous salaries to procure
the first singers ; for the Romans will have the

64s REMINISCENCES OF

best or none. There are also two theatres for comic
operas, La Capranica and La Valle.

The Romans assume that they are the most
sapient critics in the world ; they are, certainly,
the most severe ones : — they have no medium, — all
is delight or disgust. If asked whether a perform-
ance or a piece has been successful, the answer, if
favourable, is, " e andato al settimo cielo," — " it
has ascended to the seventh heaven."" If it has
failed, they say, " e andato alP abbisso del inferno,1'
— " it has sunk to the abyss of hell." The severest
critics are the Abbes, who sit in the first row of the
pit, each armed with a lighted wax taper in one hand,
and a book of the opera in the other ; and should
any poor devil of a singer miss a word, they call out
" bravo, bestia," — " bravo, you beast !"

It is customary for the composer of an opera, to
preside at the piano-forte the first three nights of
its performance, and a precious time he has of it in
Rome. Should any passage in the music strike
the audience as similar to one of another composer,
they cry, " Bravo, il ladro," — " bravo, you thief;
or, " bravo, Paesiello ! bravo, Sacchini !" if they
suppose the passage stolen from them, " the curse
of God light on him who first put a pen into
your hand to write music !" This I heard said,
in the Teatro Aliberti, to the celebrated com-
poser Gazzaniga, who was obliged to sit patiently

MICHAEL KELLY. 65

at the piano-forte to hear the flattering commenda-
tion.

Cimarosa, who was their idol as a composer, was
once so unfortunate as to make use of a movement
in a comic opera, at the Teatro della Valle, which
reminded them of one of his own, in an opera com-
posed by him for the preceding carnival. An Abbe
started up, and said, " Bravo, Cimarosa ! you are
welcome from Naples ; by your music of to-night,
it is clear you have neither left your trunk behind
you, nor your old music ; you are an excellent
cook in hashing up old dishes !"

Poggi, the most celebrated buffo singer of his
day, always dreaded appearing before those stony-
hearted critics ; however, tempted by a large sum,
he accepted an engagement at the Teatro della
Valle. He arrived in Rome some weeks previous to
his engagement, hoping to make friends, and form a
party in his favour ; he procured introductions to
the most severe and scurrilous, and thinking to find
the way to their hearts through their mouths,
gave them splendid dinners daily. One of them,
an Abbe, he selected from the rest, as his bosom
friend and confidante ; he fed, clothed, and supplied
him with money ; he confided to him his terrors
at appearing before an audience so fastidious as the
Romans. The Abbe assured him, that he had
nothing to fear, as his opinion was looked up to by

66 REMINISCENCES OF

the whole bench of critics ; and when he approved,
none dare dissent.

The awful night for poor Poggi at length arrived ;
his ficlus Achates took his usual seat, in his little
locked-up chair in the pit. It was agreed between
them, that he was to convey to Poggi, by signs, the
feeling of the audience towards him; — if they
approved, the Abbe was to nod his head; if the
contrary, to shake it. — When Poggi had sung his
first song, the Abbe nodded, and cried, " Bravo !
bravissimo f but in the second act, Poggi became
hoarse, and imperfect ; the audience gave a gentle
hiss, which disconcerted the affrighted singer,
and made him worse : on this, his friend became
outrageous, and standing up on his chair, after
putting out his wax-light, and closing his book, he
looked Poggi in the face, and exclaimed, " Signer
Poggi, I am the mouth of truth, and thus declare,
that you are decidedly the worst singer that ever
appeared in Rome ! I also declare, that you ought
to be hooted off the stage for your impudence, in
imposing on my simple and credulous good nature,
as you have done." This produced roars of laugh-
ter, and poor Poggi retired, never to appear again,
without even exclaiming, " Et tu, Brute," which he
might most appropriately have applied to his
guardian crony.

A circumstance something like this took place at

MICHAEL KELLY. 67

the Teatro Argentina. A tenor singer of the name
of Gabrielli, brother of the great female singer of
that name, was engaged there. Before he had got
through five bars of his first song, the critics began
to hiss and hoot, (and very deservedly so, for he
was execrable), saying, " Get away, you cursed
raven f " Get off, you Goat !" On which he
came forward and addressed the audience very
mildly, " You fancy you are mortifying me, by
hooting me ; you are grossly deceived ; on the
contrary, I applaud your judgment, for I solemnly
declare to you, that I never appeared on any stage
without receiving the same treatment, and sometimes
much worse !" This appeal, though it produced a
momentary laugh, could not procure a second
appearance for the poor fellow.

A description of the magnificent buildings of
Rome is not what is expected, perhaps, in memoirs
such as these; yet it is impossible to speak of
that magnificent city without noticing the splendid
structures which overy where strike the eye of a
stranger.

The church of St. Peter appeared to me so mag-
nificent, that our St. Paul's seemed but an epitome
of it, though built on the same plan. When the
Pope chaunts the Te Deum, assisted by the choir,
and in some parts by the whole congregation
(generally possessing good voices and fine ears), the

68 REMINISCENCES OF

effect produced is certainly sublime ; but it is in
the Pope's chapel only, one can hear in perfection
the divine music of Palestrina.

Like all strangers, I of course visited the Coli-
seum, the Palazzi Corsini and Borghese, with their
magnificent gardens, the Villa Albani, the Vatican,
the Pantlieon, and all its superb antiquities. Before
I left Naples, I was so fortunate as to procure a
letter from a Dominican friar to Father M'Mahon,
a Capuchin, and a very worthy countryman of
mine ; who kindly became my guide, and explained
every thing to me. He conducted me to see the
house where Raphael had resided, in the Via Comari
— to the Via Gregorina, where Salvator Rosa and
Gaspar Poussin both had lived, and also to the
Trinita del Monte, where Taddeo Zucchero died.
He had begged his way to Rome, but was rich
enough before his death to build some of the most

superb palaces in that city. On the Trinita del
Monte, Mengs had also dwelt, and painted the
walls of his own bed-chamber. His apartments
were afterwards inhabited by Angelica Kauffman,
when she finally left England.

We went to the church of the Saint Onofrio
convent, where lie the remains of Tasso, whose in-
comparable genius produced his Jerusalem Delivered
before he was thirty years of age ; and who, it is
said, composed verses at seven years old .' The

MICHAEL KELLY. 69

sight of the beautiful palace, Via Colonna, the
dwellings of Propertius and Virgil, near Porto St.
Lorenzo, and the gardens of Mecaenas, finished our
researches.

Amongst the living sights, I frequently saw in
his carriage his Eminence Cardinal York, brother
to the Pretender, but whom the Romans called
brother of the King of England ! He bore an
excellent character, and was charitable in the ex-
treme, particularly to any English who claimed his
protection*.

Mr. Stewart, his family, and myself, in our way
back from Rome, passed a day at Frascati. I was

* Father M'Mahon told me a comical story of a countryman
of ours, a Mr. Patrick O'Flanagan, who having been wrecked
at Genoa, travelled on foot to Rome, to beg assistance of
Cardinal York ; and got the Cardinal's porter, who was a
Scotchman, to present his Eminence with the following
conciliatory letter.

May it please your Sanctity,

I was cast on shore at Genoa — trarelled on foot to Rome. Hearing of your
Holiness's humanity to poor Irishmen — for thirteen years I served his
Britannic Majesty, King George the Third in the navy. God bless and
prosper bim (o boot. I hate and detest the Pope and the Pretender, and I
defy them and the devil and all his works, and am,

Your Sanctity's obedient servant,

PAT. O'FLANAGAN.

Pat waited until the Cardinal was going out to take his
morning's ride, when he threw himself on his knees before his
Eminence, who laughed heartily at his elegant epistle, and
ordered him twenty Roman crowus.

70 REMINISCENCES OF

delighted with this village, the scene of Paesiello's
beautiful comic opera, called La Frascatana, par-
ticularly as it was the first Italian opera I had ever
seen in Dublin.

We returned in safety to Naples, Mr. Stewart
proceeding to his house in the Chiaja, and myself
to my worthy master, Finaroli. He seemed pleased
to see me, and expressed a hope that I would now
attend steadily to my studies. My mornings were
devoted to the Conservatories and festivals which
were daily celebrated in the different churches.
My passion for music amounted to adoration, and
as at my time of life, good or bad taste was easily
imbibed and fixed, I was fortunate in never hearing
any but of the most superior kind, and performed
by the first professors of the age. My evening I
passed generally at one of the theatres, if not so
fortunate as to be engaged to Sir William Hamilton,
or at some of the great houses, where I had been
introduced. I must say, that at the time I speak
of, to be a native of Great Britain, was a passe
partout all over Italy ! indeed the name of Eng-
lishman was held in such reverence, that if two
Italians were making a bargain, it was clenched by
one saying, '6 I pledge myself to do so and so on
the honour of an Englishman." This was con-
sidered more binding than any oath they could
swear. I am sorry to say that the feeling which

MICHAEL KELLY. 71

then existed towards my countrymen has become
almost extinct ; and am still more sorry to be
obliged to admit, that in the many disgraceful
scenes I have witnessed, the Italians were not always
in fault.

Amongst the many great musical professors at
this time at Naples, was the celebrated Schuster.
He was the favourite scholar of the renomme Hasse,
Maestro di Cappella to the then Elector of Saxony.
Schuster, though a very young man, had been sent
for from Dresden to compose for Pachierotti, at
the theatre St. Carlo. The opera chosen was
Metastasio's " La Didone abbandonata." I recollect
his taking me to a rehearsal, which was a crown
and sceptre to me in those days. The opera was
received with enthusiasm, particularly the rondo,
sung divinely by Pachierotti, " lo ti lascio, e questo
addio," which was afterwards introduced in the
musical entertainment of " The Flitch of Bacon,"
with the English words, " No, 'twas neither shape
nor feature," adapted to it by my worthy friend
Shield. La Didone drew crowded houses, but the
rondo was the magnet ; indeed, Pachierotti's singing
it, was supposed to have raised a violent flame in
the bosom of La Marchesa Santa Marca, one of the
most beautiful women of the Neapolitan court. She
was said to be of a very susceptible nature, and to

have fallen desperately in love with the pious Eneas,

72 REMINISCENCES OF

which love he honestly returned ; this, though very
pleasant to the parties themselves, was by no means
relished by a certain Cavalier Ruffo, who had been
cavalier servente to the Marchesa, but was fairly
dismissed by the rondo. He did not choose to lose
his mistress to that tune, and meeting Pachierotti
one evening on the Molo, (the fashionable prome-
nade of the Neapolitans to taste the sea-breeze,) he
overwhelmed him with abuse, and struck him !
Pachierotti drew his sword, and being as good a
swordsman as a singer, soon wounded and disarmed
il Cavaliere. He immediately reported the affair to
the minister il Marchese Sambuco, who submitted
the matter to the King. His Majesty was pleased
to approve of Paebierotti'fl conduct, and it was
hinted to il Cavaliere, that if he attempted further
outrage, himself and family might find cause for
repentance in the loss of their places at Court. This
was decisive, and the affair dropped. But Pachie-
rotti, who lived in perpetual fear of assassination,
though engaged for two seasons, gave in his resig-
nation on the score of ill health at the end of the
first ; and acting Eneas for the last time, left the
fair Marchesa to play Didone at her leisure !

But to return to myself. — It is really curious
to observe upon what trifling circumstances the
greatest and most important events of our lives

depend. I was walking one evening, with my

MICHAEL KELLY. 73

friend Blake, through the Strada di Toledo ; and
when passing some billiard-rooms, he recollected
that he was likely to find a person in them whom he
wished to see. We went up stairs, and in the room
found the famous soprano singer, Signer Giuseppe
Aprile, who was allowed to be the greatest singer
and musician of the day. He was called by the
Italians, and indeed every where, " II padre di
tutti i cantanti,"— the father of all singers. Blake
introduced me to him, and he very kindly invited
us to take chocolate with him the next morning.
When we went, he received us with great cordiality,
and after hearing me sing, said, " This boy has
both taste and expression, and I think so well of his
abilities, that if his friends approve of it, I will
take him with me to Palermo, and instruct him
without any remuneration ; indeed, I have no
doubt but that in a short time I can make him
capable of earning his bread any where.1'1

Blake was delighted at my receiving through his
means such an offer from so great a man. I was
charmed at the prospect of seeing the capital of
Sicily, and Sir William Hamilton and the good
Father Dolphin were as pleased as either at the
happy prospect opening before me, and cheerfully
gave their consent to my going. Our departure was
to take place in four months. In the interim, Aprile
made me solfeggiare with Signer Lanza, (father to

VOL. i. E

74 REMINISCENCES OF

the Lanza who was said to be the instructor of
Miss Stephens.) He was an excellent singing master,
and was afterwards brought into this country, with
his family, by the Marquess of Abercorn, for the
purpose of instructing his daughters, and lived with
his Lordship's family at the Priory.

Previous, to our going to Palermo, Aprile went
to see his family at Abruzzo ; and at the same time
to conduct a musical festival at Gaeta, and took
me with him. The best professors in the kingdom
were engaged, and I had the honour of singing a
salve regina. The festival was most splendid, and
had Aprile been the greatest potentate on earth,
he could not have been more caressed by his towns-
men than he was.

Gaeta is four days'* journey from Naples ; and
as we slept each night at a convent, I had a good
opportunity of witnessing the luxurious mode in
which the monks of Abruzzo lived. It beggars
all description ; they and their convents are pro-
verbially rich, and their country abounds in all
good things, especially wines, which are indeed
excellent. After the festival was over, and we
had remained a week at Gaeta, we returned to
Naples, not forgetting in our way back our noc-
turnal visits to the holy fathers, who repeated their
hospitalities.

On our return, I continued my attention to

MICHAEL KELLY. 75

Aprile, who gave me a lesson every day, and almost
every day an invitation to dinner ; he seemed much
entertained by my boyish mimicry — a talent which I
possessed at that time in no mean degree. I went
with him to visit the miracle of St. Gennaro or
Januario, in the Cathedral ; the King and Queen,
in state, attended his Saintship. There were two
immense orchestras erected in the church ; and
all good professors, vocal and instrumental, were
engaged to perform upon these occasions. The
Archbishop prays, or appears to pray, while the
Te Deum is sung. He then displays a phial,
which contains the congealed blood of St. Gennaro ;
towards this he holds up a large wax taper, that
the people may perceive it is congealed. The
miracle consists, as every body knows, in this blood
dissolving before the congregation, and is supposed •
to be performed by the saint himself. As soon as it
is liquified, the Archbishop roars lustily, " the mira-
cle is accomplished J" The Te Deum is again sung,
and the whole congregation prostrate themselves
before the altar of the saint with gratitude and
devotion, and every face beams with delight.

On one of those miraculous days, I witnessed a
ludicrous scene. It happened by some accident,
that the Archbishop could not make the miracle
work. The Lazzaroni and old women loudly called
on the Virgin for assistance. " Dear Virgin Mary !

76 KEMIXISCENCES OF

Blessed Madonna ! Pray, use your influence with
St. Gennaro ! Pray, induce him to work the
miracle ! Do we not love him ? Do we not wor-
ship him ?" But when they found the Saint inex-
orable, they changed their note, and seemed re-
solved to abuse him into compliance. They all at
once cried out, " Porco di St. Gennaro !" — " You
pig of a Saint !" — " Barone maladetto !" — " You
cursed rascal !" — " Cane faccia gial^utta !" — " You
yellow-faced dog !" In the midst of this, the blood
(thanks to the heat of the Archbishop's hand,) dis-
solved. They again threw themselves on their
knees, and tearing their hair (the old ladies par-
ticularly), with streaming eyes, cried, " Oh ! most
holy Saint, forgive us this once, and never more will
we doubt your goodness !" Had I not been an eye-
witness of this scene of gross superstition and igno-
rance, I really could not have given credit to it.

Time, which flies the faster the longer we live,
wore on rapidly even in my young days, and the
period approached at which I was to leave enchanting
Naples, where " Wit walks the street, and music
fills the air." Sir William Hamilton continued his
kindness towards nie^ and procured many letters of
introduction for me, in addition to those which he
himself gave me to the Prince Villa Franca Paterno

Budera^ and Petrapersia his sen., the Duke of Ver-
dura, and the Duke St. Michele. I was greatly

MICHAEL KELLY.

grieved at quitting the friends I had acquired, par-
ticularly ray faithful companion Fleming, and a Mr. '
Cobley, a young man who was in a mercantile house
in Naples. Many years after, I had the pleasure of

meeting; him at the house of his brother-in-law, Mr.

Hay don, of Plymouth, when we talked of our
youthful pranks, and " fought all our battles o'er
again,'1' not forgetting the innumerable bowls of
punch we had drunk on the Mole, at the house of
the pretty widow Mac Mahon, who had one great
attraction in my eyes, in addition to those of her
person. She let me score, and I did " score, and
spared not ;" and the consequence was, that being
born with a natural genius for drinking punch, I
got pretty deep into her books ; not into her bad
books, however, for I paid her honourably before I
left Naples.

Aprile, his brother, Giuseppe, a valet de chambre,
and myself, embarked on board a polacre, com-
manded by a Trapani Capitano, and set sail for
Palermo, at which place, after a tolerable passage,
we arrived on the evening of the third day ; though
we suffered much by sea sickness, it was two days
before we were allowed to go on shore. While
enduring this delay, a number of young men swam
near our vessel, while bathing. The Sicilians arc
reckoned the most expert swimmers and divers in
Europe; consequently it is their favourite amuse-

78 REMINISCENCES OF

men! ; and they are so accustomed to it, that they
are able to remain several hours in the water. The
Captain of our polacre told me, that swimming
actually formed part of the education of a Sicilian,
and that with them it was an acquirement of equal
importance to reading or writing.

When we were released we went to the only
tolerable hotel in Palermo, kept by a Madame
Montano, a saucy old French woman. However,
we were soon released from her den, and conducted
to an excellent house taken for Aprile, in the Stracla
del Cassaro, near La Porta Felice.

La Strada del Cassaro is a beautiful street, and
four others leading from it, called Le Strade dei
Quattro Cantoni, are also very fine, and contain the
palaces of the first nobility. At one end of the
Cassaro is the Palace of the Viceroy, a ponderous
piece of architecture ; and at the other are the
Flora Gardens, and the Porta Felice itself, which
opens to the Marino.

Aprile had the goodness to appropriate a com-
fortable apartment in his house to my use, and I
determined to make the best of my time, and the
favourable opportunities which presented them-
selves. I studied between five and six hours every
day, with the greatest assiduity ; my voice fell
gradually into a tenor, and in a short time I could
execute several songs which had been composed for

MICHAEL KELLY. 79

wo celebrated tenors of that day, Ansani and David.
I delivered the letters of introduction which I
brought from • Naples, and was generally well re-
ceived by those to whom I delivered them, par-
ticularly by the Duke St. Michele, and the Prince
Val Guarniera ; with these noble and kind friends,
I was permitted to pass much of my time. The
Duchess St. Michele was accomplished and beau-
tiful, and sang delightfully. The Duke spoke
English fluently, and was an enthusiastic admirer
of Shakspeare, and our old dramatic authors.
Indeed, I was surprised to find so many of the
Sicilian nobility had studied English. They had
a Casino, called the " English Casino," to which
none were admitted who could not, at least, make
themselves understood.

The Palermitans are all fond of music, and
every evening there was an Accademia di Musica
held at some private house. I was usually invited
to these : to be the scholar of Aprile, and an Irish-
man, were sufficient ; but I was besides considered
a Christian.

Every good has more or less of evil to counter-
balance it, and amongst all my comforts, I found
the climate of Sicily warmer and more oppressive
than that of Naples ; indeed, when the sirocco
blows, it is almost insupportable. As a proof that
this is actually the case, the indolence and torpitude

80 REMINISCENCES OF

of the people during its continuance may well be
adduced ; they are perfectly dreadful, and are
greatly increased by the seclusion in which every
body necessarily live ; the doors, window shutters,
and verhandas being almost hermetically sealed, and
all business and visiting at an end. Such is the
opinion which the natives have of its baleful influ-
ence, that I once heard a Palermitan dilettante say,
when obliged to allow that some music composed by
his favourite Pigniotti, was bad — " Well, I suppose
I must admit it is bad ; but perhaps he composed it
during the sirocco !"

When the tramontane or north wind returns,
every thing resumes its gay and beautiful appear-
ance, not excepting the ladies, who in general have
brilliant black eyes and eye-lashes, and a fine, ener-
getic, vivacious expression of countenance. Their
costume is very becoming, and in the street they
wear the black veil, after the Spanish fashion ; in
the evening, they dress much in the French and
English style, that is, the higher orders, who on
their gala days wear a profusion of diamonds. All
ranks, however, are fond of ornament, the very
poorest loading their throats with gold chains, &c.
&c. In no country in the world are the women
more fascinating. In their hospitality, and liveli-
ness of conversation, they reminded me of the ladies
of old Ireland ! but when they dance, their atti-

MICHAEL KELLY. 81

tudes and movements are — what shall I say? —
inspiration itself. I soon began to find myself too
susceptible to their winning ways, and my young
heart resembled a target, in which almost every
shot told.

I was astonished at not finding any female ser-
vants in Palermo ; and when I. expressed my won-
der, an Irish friend of mine accounted for the fact
by stating, that all the maid servants in that part
of the world, were men. It is said, that if the girls
were suffered to go out as servants, they could not
procure husbands: — all Italians, the Sicilians in
particular, being very jealous before marriage. —
This is hardly to be wondered at in Palermo, for
there are a number of beautiful women among
the lower order, which, " I am ashamed and
sorry, sorry and ashamed" to say, made me every
Sunday very religiously pay a visit to the tomb
of Santa Rosalia, on Mount Pellegrino, where
those good Christians go dressed, " in all their
best," to pay their respects to their sanctified
protectress !

But while I am retracing the beauties of the
ladies, I am forgetting my pursuits and my master.
The opera chosen by Aprile for his debut, was
Sard's " Alessandro neir India," (the jealous Poro
being a favourite character of his.) The Prim a
Donna, La Signora Agatina Carara, was much clis-

E 5

REMINISCENCES OF

satisfied with his choice, and the result was, bella !
horrida betta ! Parties ran high! Aprile, justly
considered as the greatest of all artists, had a strong
faction ; La Carara, one of the most beautiful
women of her day, and a fine singer, had abund-
ance of partisans, besides being protected by the
committee of noblemen, five in number, (for there
was a committee there). With them she played
her cards so cleverly, that each supposed himself
the favoured lover ; but in all these little delicate
arrangements she had an able and experienced, if
not very respectable ally, in her husband ! He,
worthy soul, had but one weakness ; an inordinate
love of gold, and the bearer of such arguments had
every thing to hope from the sweetness of his dis-
position. I never knew any man who could bow
so gracefully, or quit a room with a better air,
when a nobleman called upon his cara sposa ; —
fortunately he was fond of taking long walks, and
never was known to return home at an unseasonable
hour.

The theatre being closed every Friday evening,
Aprile was usually invited to concerts at private
houses, and, as a matter of course, I went with
him. At these parties, playing \\as almost as popu-
lar an amusement as singing, for a Faro bank was
always held after the music was over. There was
frequently very high play at many houses. Sup-

MICHAEL KELLY. 83

pers are also introduced, of which/ fish formed a
very important feature. Their moreau, a species
of eel, is delicious, and only to be procured in this
part of the Mediterranean ; their tunny fish and
pesce spada (sword fish) are very fine ; and their
ices, which they serve up in all shapes, are exqui-
site, as well as their Malavisa wine, the produce of
the Liparian Isles. Since I am touching on the
subject, I must say, the best suppers were given
by the Princess Villa Franca, and the Prince her
husband, an old man, who was good tempered and
affable, while his consort was young and perfectly
beautiful ; their palace at the Seven Hills, a short
distance from Palermo, was magnificent, and always
crowded with visitors during the vintage, when all is
life and pleasure.

Aprile had an invitation to pass a few days at
the country residence of his patron, Prince Val
Guarniera, in the neighbourhood of La Bageria ;
near it, amongst many other noblemen's houses,
was one, I sincerely hope, the only one of its kind

in Europe, belonging to Prince B , a sort

of maniac ; the impression it made upon me will
never be effaced. On entering the hall, I saw the
heads of beautiful women, and the bodies of the
most frightful animals ; and the body of a man
with the head of a mastiff. The family statues
were all fancifully clad in suits of different co-

REMINISCENCES OF

loured marble, with red stockings and black shoes.
The roofs of the apartments were lined with
looking glass, so that if five or six persons were
moving about a room, it appeared as if an hundred
w.ere walking on their heads. Each pane of glass
in the windows was of a different colour, and even
the clock in the hall was stuck into a gianf s body !
yet the rooms themselves were beautiful, paved
with fine marble, and containing a profusion of
china, and objects of taste and virtu. The princess
dressing-room was filled with figures of snakes,
scorpions, and other disgusting animals ; in short,
his whole life seemed devoted to the study of the
horrible and disgusting.

I was particularly taken notice of by Prince
Paterno, a man of superior wit and talent ; as
well as by the Duke of Verdura. The Prince
Petrapersia also favoured me with his patronage
and friendship ; he was a very handsome man,
famous for his strength and activity, and spoke
excellent English. When he was going to visit
his estates in Catania, Aprile gave me permission
to accompany him, on condition that I returned
in a fortnight ; we set out with a great retinue of
servants, and six of his Highnesses body-guards,
who, I verily believe, were banditti ! However,
they were faithful to us, and conducted us safely to
the palace of the Prince Budero, his Highnesses

MICHAEL KELLY. 85

father. After remaining there three days, we con-
tinued our journey to Catania, to see the Prince
Biscaria, who resided in one of the most superb
palaces in all Sicily. I was astonished to see such
a structure built nearly at the foot of Mount Etna,
liable, at all times, to be swallowed up by an erup-
tion. The Prince wished me to ascend the moun-
tain, which, however, no persuasion could induce
me to do. I was content to view it at an humble
distance. I had no ambition to be deified, like the
heathen philosopher, for throwing myself into the
great crater ; nor had I even curiosity enough to
visit II Castagno di centi Cavalli; I was more
anxious to see Syracuse, Dionysius1 Ear, and rthe
scene of the Transformation of Acis ; but, however,
we contented ourselves, after enjoying the Prince
Biscaria's hospitalities for a few days, with return-
ing to Palermo, where we found the whole popu-
lation alive, making preparations for the grand fete
of Santa Rosalia, which was to take place in a few
days.

On the 12th of July, the saint's natal day, the
annual festival commenced. From Aprile's house,
in the Strada del Cassaro, we had a fine view of the
procession, which commenced at five in the evening,
and passed from the Marino to the Porto Felice :
all the military in and about Palermo were assem-
bled to protect it. Among them, on the present

86 REMINISCENCES OF

•

occasion, were a Swiss regiment and the Irish Jbri-
gade, a fine set of men. The car on which the
saint was carried, was an enormous machine, drawn
by forty mules, richly caparisoned, with twenty
postilions in blue and silver : near the bottom of the
car was a large orchestra ; the musicians placed in
rows above each other, the whole interspersed with
a precious assortment of angels, saints, artificial
trees of coral, orange, lemon, &c. ; and surmount-
ing all, on the dome of the car, and as high as the
houses themselves, stood a large silver statue of
the saint herself. The procession lasted till eight
o'clock, when the illumination on the Marino com-
menced, the whole chain of which continued a mile
in length. Imagination can picture nothing so
splendid as the fire-works which were then dis-
played. On the sea stood an immense palace of
fire, and all the shipping, gallies, &c. were bril-
liantly lighted up.

The second day commenced with horse-racing,
of a nature to an Englishman extremely strange.
The horses, eight or ten in number, have no riders,
but stand in a row, held by their fine manes by
grooms ; they are almost covered with ribands of
different colours : the grooms find it difficult to
restrain them till the signal is fired from the

Corso.

At the sound of the cannon, they start with the

MICHAEL KELLY. 87

fieetness of the wind, and the sight is really beauti-
ful. The conqueror is led back in triumph, and
hailed with trumpets, kettle drums, and the shouts
of the populace, who vociferate, with all their
might, " Viva il bel cavallo ! viva mille anni !""
(May the beautiful horse live a thousand years !)
All this time, the noble animal stalks majestically
through the Corso, as if conscious of his triumph,
and the applause bestowed upon him. I have seen
races in many countries, but none which gave me
such true delight as tli3se in Palermo. On the
third night, the Marino, the Flora Gardens, and
the four gates of the city were illuminated. There
was music in the Chiesa Grande, where four large
orchestras were erected, which contained all the
principal musicians in the island, and many from the
kingdom of Naples, both vocal and instrumental ;
the whole was under the direction of Aprile, and
there was my first regular appearance. I sang a
mottetto, composed by the celebrated Genario
Mano. Aprile had taken great pains with me in
it, and appeared fully satisfied with my execution
of it*,

* It may not be thought unworthy of remark, that the first and
only native of Great Britain that ever sang at that festival, or,
indeed, in any church in Sicily, was myself. The circumstance
was considered so extraordinary, that Aprile had my name and
country inserted in the archives of the church.

88 REMINISCENCES OF

I think when the church was completely illumi-
nated, the walls, pillars, and roof ornamented with
artificial flowers, gold and silver paper, interwoven
with the lights, nothing earthly could surpass the
coup-'Z1 ceil ; the eye absolutely shrank from the
splendour of the blaze.

I continued my old routine with my master ;
and going to the parterre of the theatre one evening,
on seeing an empty seat, I sat down. A very
pretty woman sat next to me, with whom I entered
into conversation. At the end of the first act of
the opera, a young gentleman, who, I afterwards
found, was the Marchese St. Lucia, and the pro-
fessed cicisbeo of the lady I was speaking to, came
to me, and said, " How dare you, you insolent
fellow, place yourself in a seat that belongs to me ?"
I answered truly, that had I known the seat to be
his, I would not have taken it. His reply to this
pacific speech, was a thump on the head, which I
repaid with interest. But in an instant, I was
seized ; and, for the heinous crime of returning a
blow, was hurried to prison, and left there amongst
culprits of every description. My entree seemed
to create a bustle amongst them, and I felt myself
a personage of importance.

About a dozen of them messed together, and
invited me to sup with them ; and I can say, with
justice, I never passed a more jolly night in my

MICHAEL KELLY 89

life I They had some good pesce spada for supper,
arid plenty of wine. They sang, and told laughable
stories. One of them had been a captain of Cala-
brian banditti, previous to which, he had been the
hero of the pickpockets on the Largo di Castello
at Naples. He told us many of his exploits, and
something of his education. When a boy, he had
been placed at a school, where his trade was re-
gularly taught. A large figure, made of straw,
was placed in the middle of a room, about which
were arranged watches, trinkets, pocket handker-
chiefs, &c. &c. The master of the school (and a
very great master of arts he was), stood by and
gave instructions. No one was allowed to be an
adept, or fit to take the field, till he could rob the
figure without being observed, or deranging a
single straw.

They recounted many anecdotes ; the following
one of the celebrated Gabrielli, though well known,
I cannot refrain from repeating, as she had, in con-
sequence, remained several days in the very room
we then occupied. Gabrielli, though beautiful, gene-
rous, and rich, had a most capricious temper. She
was the idol of the Palermitans ; notwithstanding^
one evening, on which a new opera was to have
been performed, as they were going to begin, the
house being crowded, and the Viceroy and court
present, she sent word she had a head-ache, and

90 REMINISCENCES OF

could not perform. Every endeavour of the manager
and her friends to induce her to fulfil her duty, only
rendered her the more obstinate ; and even the
threat of a dungeon, from the Viceroy, had no effect ;
at length, after exhausting every other method to
restore her to reason, a guard seized and conducted
her to prison. She told the captain of the guard,
with the greatest sang froid, " Your Viceroy may
make me cry, but he shall not make me sing.1'
After remaining two days in confinement, she was
released. But while in prison, she feasted the
prisoners sumptuously, and on her departure, dis-
tributed a large sum amongst the poorer class of
them. It was said that she never would have re-
turned to the theatre had she not entertained a
penchant for the manager.

This affection of her's commenced in rather a
strange manner. When she was performing at
the theatre St. Carlo, at Naples, and living in great
splendour with Count Kaunitz, the manager wrote
to her, requesting to know what terms she would
accept for singing one season at his theatre at
Palermo. She answered, " If you will build a
bridge that will reach from Naples to Palermo, I
will sing for you, not else ;" to which he replied,
" Madam, if you can recollect, and will give me a
list of ALL those on whom you have bestowed
favours, in the course of your life, I will build the

MICHAEL KELLY. 91

bridge you mention ; not else." She was puzzled,
and the negociation dropped ; however, when they
met, shortly after this free and easy beginning, they
became excellent friends.

I was detained in prison for three days, and
was only liberated through great interest. I re-
turned to my master, who received me with his
usual kindness, and applauded my spirit for not
receiving a blow without returning it. The termi-
nation of his engagement approached, when he pro-
posed returning to Naples. He called me to him
one morning, and after hearing me sing half a
dozen songs, in which he had taken great pains in
my instruction, said, — "wThe time of our separa-
tion is approaching ; your talent will now procure
you an engagement in any theatre in Europe. I
have written to Campigli, the manager of the
Pergola theatre in Florence (he was also a sort of
agent, and was, at that time, in correspondence with,
and furnished every Italian opera in Europe with
singers, dancers, composers, &c.) ; he will be glad
to see you, and under his care and patronage you
cannot fail of success, because you have the peculiar
distinction of being the only public scholar I ever
taught. A Syracusan polacre will sail in a few
days for Leghorn, in which I will procure you a
passage, and will give you several letters of re-
commendation; and so5Godblessyou3my good boy !"

REMINISCENCES OF

I was overwhelmed with melancholy at the
thought of leaving my kind, liberal, and great
master. He was a man of the most honourable and
independent mind I ever met, and considered an
excellent scholar. He took great pains to explain
Metastasio, and other great Italian poets to me, and
particularly inculcated a love of truth, and a horror
of committing a mean action. I may truly say, with
Nicodeme, in the French play, " Le maitre qui prit
soin de former majeunesse, ne wCajamais ctppris a
faire une bassesse"

I prevailed on him to accept, as a remembrance,
the piano-forte I brought from Ireland ; — it was my
only possession, but I declare that had it been worth
thousands, it would have been his; my love and
gratitude to him were so strong*.

The day arrived when I was to leave my beloved
master. He amply provided me for the voyage,

* Many years afterwards, when dining with my dear and
lamented friend, the late Lady Hamilton, at Merton, I had the
pleasure of hearing of this circumstance from the illustrious
Lord Nelson, near whom 1 had the honour of being seated at
table. He said, " Mr. Kelly, when in Naples, I have frequently
heard your old master, Aprile, speak of you with great affection,
though he said, that when with him, you were as wild as a colt.
He mentioned, also, your having given him your piano-forte,
which, he said, nothing should induce him to part with." I
confess I was much gratified by the repetition of this trifling
anecdote.

MICHAEL KELLY. 93

and paid my passage, giving me, at the same time,
thirty Neapolitan ounces., which were sufficient to
take me to Florence, where I might expect an
engagement. After taking an affectionate leave of
me, he sent his faithful valet Giuseppe, a Milanese,
who had lived with him several years, in the boat
with me, to see me safe on board. Giuseppe was a
worthy creature, but as vain of his hair-dressing as
the elder Vestris was of his dancing, and flourished
his comb with as much grace and dignity as le Dieu
de dance moved the minuet de la cour. Poor
fellow, he shed tears at parting with me, and
said, — " Farewell, Signor ! remember your attached
Giuseppe ; in whatever part of the world you may
be, if embarrassed, write to me, and I will go to you.
/ can live any where, for in classical hair-dressing I
will yield to none, however illustrious ; and thank
heaven ! in these days, the comb takes the lead of
every thing."

The wind was fair, and we set sail from beautiful
Sicily, " where Ceres loves to dwell." I was dread-
fully sick during the first day and night., and obliged
to keep below. The second, I went on deck, and
had a view of the Lipari Islands, famous for their
delicious wines; Stromboli, their chief, was out
of humour, for it poured forth volumes of flame.
It is said that this mountain discharges a greater
quantity of lava than either Etna or Vesuvius, and
never ceases roaring ! On the third morning, I was

REMINISCENCES OF

roused by a dreadful noise on deck; when I went

up, all was uproar ; at last the captain told me we

, were pursued by a Turkish galera ; the crew,

instead of working the vessel and endeavouring to

o o

escape, were on their knees, each praying to his
patron saint ! some one of which, however, was
propitious, for a stout breeze springing up, we got
close in shore, and lost sight of the terrible galera.
After being six days at sea, during the last of which
it blew a complete hurricane, at eight o'clock in the
morning we arrived in the bay of Leghorn, and lay
close to the Lazzaretto ; it is a beautiful building,
and was then used as an hospital for seamen. After
we had been visited by the officers of health, I went
on shore to shew my passport at the Custom-house;
I had on a Sicilian capote, with my hair (of which
I had a great quantity, and which, like my com-
plexion, was very fair) floating over it : I was as thin
as a walking stick. As I stepped from the boat, I
perceived a young lady and gentleman standing on
the Mole, making observations ; as the former looked
at me she laughed, and as I approached, I heard
her say to her companion in English, which, of
course, she thought I did not understand, " Look
at that girl dressed in boy's clothes !" To her
astonishment, I answered in the same language,
" You are mistaken, Miss, I am a very proper he
animal, and quite at your service !"

We all laughed till we were tired, and became

MICHAEL KELLY. 95

immediately intimate; and these persons, my ac-
quaintance with whom commenced by this childish
jest on the Mole at Leghorn, continued through life
the warmest and most attached of my friends. All
love and honour to your memories, Stephen and
Nancy Storace ! He was well known afterwards, as
one of the best of English composers ; and she was
at that time, though only fifteen, the prima donna of
the Comic Opera at Leghorn. They were Lon-
doners, and their real name wanted the £, which
they introduced into it. Their father was a Neapo-
litan, and a good performer on the double bass,
which he played for many years at the Opera House,
when the band was led by the celebrated Giardini.
He married one of the Misses Trusler of Bath,
celebrated for making a peculiar sort of cake, and
sister to Doctor Trusler, well known in the literary
world as a chronologist.

The elder Storace, Doctor Arnold, and Lowe, the
singer, opened Mary-le-bone Gardens for the per-
formance of burlettas, Sec. &c. Owing; to the at-

* o

traction of the music, and Miss Trusler's plum-
cakes, the Gardens were successful for a time ; but,
disagreeing among themselves, the proprietors closed
them, I believe, with loss.

When Mr, Sheridan married Miss Linley, and
brought her from Bath, their first lodging in Lon-
don was at Mr. Storace^s house, in Mary-le-bone,

96 REMINISCENCES OF

and from that time a strong friendship existed

between the families. Nancy, the only daughter,

" .

could play and sing at sight as early as eight

years old; she evinced an extraordinary genius for
music ; and Stephen the son, foreyemj thing / He

was the most gifted creature I ever met with !

i • j • T»

an enthusiast and a genius. But in music and

painting he was positively occult ! I have often
heard Mr. Sheridan say, that if he had been bred
to the law, he thought he would have been Lord
Chancellor.

His father sent him, when very young, to the

j * o' .

Conservatorio St. Onofrio at Naples, to which he

became a great ornament. Nancy Storace had the
singular good fortune to be instructed by Sachjni,
and Rauzzini, in England ; and after making pro-
digious progress under them, her father took her
to Naples, where she sang at some of the Oratorios
given at the theatre St. Carlo, during Lent. She
was very well liked, and afterwards went to
Florence, where the celebrated soprano singer,
Marchesi, was engaged at the Pergola theatre.
He was then in his prime, and attracted not only
all Florence, but I may say all Tuscany: Storace
was engaged to sing second woman in his operas ;
and to the following circumstance, well known all
over the Continent, did she owe her sudden ele-
vation in her profession.

MICHAEL KELLY. 97

Bianchi had composed the celebrated cavatina,
" Sembianza amabile del mio bel sole,11 which Mar-
ches! sung with most ravishing taste; in one
passage he ran up a voletta of semitone octaves,
the last note of which he gave with such exquisite
power and strength, that it was ever after called
" La bomba di Marchesi !" Immediately after this
song, Storace had to sing one, and was determined
to shew the audience that she could bring a bomba
into the field also. She attempted it, and executed
it, to the admiration and astonishment of the
audience, but to the dismay of poor Marchesi.
Campigli, the manager, requested her to discontinue
it, but she peremptorily refused, saying, that she
had as good a right to shew the power of her
bomba as any body else. The contention was
brought to a close, by Marchesi"s declaring, that
if she did not leave the theatre, lie would ; and
unjust as it was, the manager was obliged to dis-
miss her, and engage another lady, who was not so
ambitious of exhibiting a bomba.

From Florence she went to Lucca, and from
thence to Leghorn, where I met her, and where
she was a very great favourite. I dined with her
and her brother the very memorable day of my
landing ; and Stephen, who had a wonderfully
quick conception, intuitively, as it were, inquired
into the state of my finances. I honestly told him
VOL. i. F

98 REMINISCENCES OF

that they were not in a very flourishing condition.
" We must endeavour to recruit them," said he.
I mentioned, that I had a letter from Aprile to
a Signer Chiotti, an opulent jeweller, who was an
amateur and director of the concerts. He told me
that Chiotti could be of great use to me if ,1
took a concert, and he had no doubt the opera
people would sing for nothing for me. Ever warm
and active, my dear Stephen introduced me the next
day to the British Consul, and the Messrs. Darby,
eminent mercantile men, residing -at Leghorn,
brothers of Mrs. Robinson, the beautiful Perdita ;
and two Scotch families, the Grants and Frazers,
patronized me, and I had a crowded concert
room, — the nett produce, eighty zee-chinos ; and
above all, to me, my singing was very much
approved.

My time passed delightfully while I remained
in Leghorn. The Russian fleet were at anchor
in the Bay, commanded by Admiral O'Dwyer, a
distinguished seaman, and an Irishman by birth.
The Storaces and myself often went on board his
ship, and were delighted by hearing the Russians
chaunt their evening hymn. The melody is beauti-
fully simple, and was always sung completely in
tune, by this immense body of men. There was
at the same time, in the harbour, a privateer from
Dublin, called the Fame, Captain Moore : he and

MICHAEL KELLY. 99

his first officer, Campbell, were Irishmen, and had a
fine set of Irish lads under them. When Storace^s
benefit took place, the officers and crew, who could
be spared from their duty, to a man (and a famous
sight it was), marched to the theatre, and almost
filled the parterre. At the end of the opera, Storace
sung the Irish ballad, "Molly Ahstore," on the
conclusion of which, the boatswain of the Fame
gave a loud whistle, and the crew, en masse, rose
and gave*three cheers. The dismay of the Italian
part of the audience was ludicrous in the extreme.
The sailors then sang " God save the King" in full
chorus, and when done, applauded themselves to
the very skies : nothing could be more unanimous
or louder than their self-approbation.

At length, Stephen Storace took his departure
for England, and I for Lucca. I was very much
affected when I saw him sail, and set out on my
journey with a very heavy heart. At Lucca I re-
mained two days. The country of this little com-
monwealth is delightful : the oil of Lucca is the
best in Europe; the inhabitants are industrious,
and call their country the Garden of Europe. They
were then governed by a Doge, whom they, choose
every two months. They always dressed in black,
to save expense, though living is remarkably cheap.
The baths are considered highly salutary, and are
a few miles out of the town. They have a grand

100 PxEMIXISCENCES OF

musical festival for the feast of the Holy Cross.
An old lady, a native of Lucca, left a large sum of

* s O

money to be disposed of in ,the following manner : —
every musician who came to the festival of the
Holy Cross, (and at that time they pour in from all
parts of Italy,) was to be paid a stated price, at so
much a mile, be the distance what it would ! Her
ladyship's executor had no sinecure. Pachierotti
once sang at this festival, and was also engaged at
the theatre. The common people of Lucca have
the reputation of being great tricksters. They
have a saying, " Sono un Luchese, ma vi sono dei
buoni e cattivi al mio paese." — " I am a Luchese,
but there are good, as well as bad, in my country."
Aretin the satirist, yclept " the Bitter Tuscan,"
and who hated Lucca for some slight shewn to
him, said, that when their best actress was acting
with energy, she always threw one, or both of her
arms, out of the republic ; meaning it wras so con-
temptibly small. In my time there was a custom
of sending presents of sweetmeats, for which they
are famous, and oil, to all foreigners of distinction
wlio visit their town. I wished much to remain
there longer, but was obliged to hurry on to Pisa,
where I arrived the following day.

On my arrival I immediately sought out Viganoni,
the charming tenor singer, so well known in this
country. He was decidedly the best mezzo carattere

MICHAEL KELLY. 101

in Italy ; he was engaged at the theatre, and his
prima donna was Signora Clementina Bagliona.
When I delivered my letter of introduction to him,
he took me to see her. They both behaved with
great kindness to me, and invited me to stay n
week at their house ; an invitation which I was the
more inclined to accept, as, during that particular
week, the festival of the Battle of the Bridge, so
renowned and so extraordinary, was appointed to
take place.

It would hardly be believed, if it were not gene-,
rally known, that upon this occasion, two armies of
citizens, accoutred cap-a-pie, the one representing
the army of St. J ohn the Baptist, the other, that of
St. Antonio, meet to dispute the passage of a bridge
across the Arno, and do not separate till one or
other has conquered. The battle is real, and con-
tested with the most inveterate obstinacy, many of
the combatants being desperately wounded, and
sometimes killed.

Surely this barbarous custom is unworthy a civi-
lized nation.

Previous to the exhibition of this extraordinary
spectacle, Viganoni took me to see the baths, which
are considered extremely efficacious in pulmonary
complaints. They are admirably constructed, and
are visited by invalids from all parts of Europe,

102 REMINISCENCES OF

amongst whom are many English. While there,
a man was pointed out to me, whose head was
shaved, and who wore the dress of a galley-
slave, sweeping the baths. He did the most
laborious work by day, and at night was chained
on board a Tuscan galley, which lay in the
Arno. This man was the well-known Giuseppe
Afrissa, who had visited and been received at all
the courts of Europe; and at Vienna, had been in
such favour with the Emperor Francis I. and
his Empress, Maria Theresa, that he sat at their
table, and was appointed Master of the Revels at
Schoenbrunn and all the royal palaces ! He was
banished from Vienna for some disgraceful act,
but not before he had contrived to lose at the
gaming-table every shilling of a large fortune,
which he had originally acquired there. He re-
turned to Turin, his native place, where he joined
with four notorious swindlers, who travelled into
various countries, committing forgeries. In Eng-
land and Holland they were particularly successful.
At length Afrissa was arrested in his career at
Pisa, by a Dutch merchant, on whom he had com-
mitted a forgery to an immense amount; he was
tried, and condemned to hard labour as a galley-
slave for life. When seized, he wras in company

with one of his associates, a Genoese, who instantly

MICHAEL KELLY. 103

took a small phial from his pocket and swallowed
the contents. He died in great agonies. Of the
fate of the rest of the gang, I never heard any thing.

I remember well, that the day on which I saw
this man, I dined with Signora Bagliona, and Signor
Soderini, who had just returned from England,
where he had been for several years one of the
violin players at the Opera House, while Giardini
was leader. He was one of the ugliest men I ever
saw. When M. Favar was first ballet-inaster,
Soderini went on the stage, after the rehearsal,
and said to him, " Allow me, my dear Sir, to
introduce myself to you ; — you are the dearest
friend I have on earth, — let me thank you a thou-
sand times for the happiness you have conferred
on me by coming amongst us; — command me in
any way, for whatever I do for you, I can never
sufficiently repay you !"

The ballet-master, who had never seen or heard
of Soderini before, was astounded ; at last, he said,
" Pray, Sir, to what peculiar piece of good fortune
may I attribute the compliments and professions
with which you favour me ?"

" To your unparalleled ugliness, my dear Sir,""

replied Soderini; "for before your arrival, I was

considered the ugliest man in Great Britain."

• The ballet-master, (strange to say, since he really

was so ugly,) took the joke in good part, and they

104 REMINISCENCES OF

became extremely intimate ; but amiable as they
were to each other, they were universally known as
the ugly couple ! This anecdote Soderini told me
himself.

I was very much stricken at Pisa with the
resemblance which the quays of that city bear to
those of Dublin. The cathedral and leaning tower
are beautiful and curious; yet, of all places in
Italy, I left Pisa with the least regret ; its sombre
appearance, and want of amusement, did not at
all suit my mercurial spirits ; and, although
extremely grateful to my friend Viganoni for his
hospitality, I confess I felt almost pleased when I
quitted it.

The following evening I reached Florence; —
Florence too, that was to make my future fortunes,
or un-make them quite. I went direct to an
English hotel, kept by an Englishman of the name
of Meggot, where I had a very good bed-room and
board, at the rate of three shillings English per
day. Immediately upon my arrival, I called upon
Signor Campigli, a rich jeweller, who was also
manager of the Pergola theatre : he was, besides, a
sensale (a broker), and furnished theatres with
performers, for which he received a per centage
from both manager and singer. He was very rich,
and his influence supposed to be so great, that
no performer dared risk making him an enemy,

MICHAEL KELLY. 105

Pachierotti alone excepted, who has declared to
me, that he never would have dealings with a man
whom he considered, half jokingly, a trafficker in
human flesh. But Pachierotti was at this time
immensely wealthy, and could do what he chose.
Independent of the fortune which his talents secured
him, he was supposed to have received large sums
from an English lady of high birth, who was said
to be fervently attached to him.

The shop of this Campigli was on the Ponte cli
Trinita. I found him at home, and delivered
my letter from Aprile : after reading it, he told me,
that I had just ccme in the nick of time, as he
could offer me an engagement as first comic tenor,
at the Teatro Nuovo, which was to be opened, for
the first time, the week after Easter. If I accepted
it, I should have to perform from the middle of
April till the end of June, for fifty zecchinos, about
231. sterling, which 1 was glad enough to get, con-
sidering that the engagement was on the spot.

I next delivered my letter of recommendation to
Lord Cowper, who received me with the greatest
kindness. His Lordship had most pleasing and
affable manners. He spent his princely fortune
with the greatest liberality, patronising the arts and
artists nobly; arid mdeed, had more influence isi
Florence than the Grand Duke himself His Lord-
ship invited me to dinner. Sir Horace Mann, our

106 REMINISCENCES OF

minister at the court of Tuscany, then very old,
and Mr. Merry, the Delia Cruscan, who afterwards
married the elder Miss Brunton, of Covent Garden
Theatre, sister of the present Countess of Craven,
were of the party.

In the evening, Lady Cowper gave a concert to
a large party. There I had the gratification of
hearing a sonata on the violin played by the great
Nardini ; though very far advanced in years, he
played divinely. He spoke with great affection
of his favourite scholar, Thomas Linley, who, he
said, possessed powerful abilities. Lord Cowper
requested him to play the popular sonata, composed
by his master, Tartini, called the Devil's Sonata.
Mr. Jackson, an English gentleman present, asked
Nardini, whether the anecdote relative to this piece of
music was true, for Mr. de la Lande had assured Dr.
Burney that he had it from Tartini^s own mouth.

Nardini answered, that he had frequently heard
Tartini relate the circumstance, which was neither
more nor less than this : — He said that one night he
dreamed that he had entered into a contract with
the devil, in fulfilment of which his satanic majesty
was bound to perform all his behests. He placed
his violin in his hands, and asked him to play ; and
the devil played a sonata so exquisite, that in the
delirium of applause which he was bestowing,
he awoke, and flew to the instrument to endeavour

MICHAEL KELLY. 107

to retain some of the passages, but in vain ! they
had fled ! yet the sonata haunted his imagination
day and night, and he endeavoured to compose one
in imitation, which he called " The DeviPs Sonata :"
but it wras so inferior to the sonata of his dream,
that he has been heard to say, that if he had had
any other mode of gaining a living, he would have
left the musical profession. I hope my being able
to add the additional authority of Nardini himself,
as to the truth of this anecdote, will be my excuse
for repeating what has been so ably related by
Dr. Burney. Nardini was the favourite scholar of
Tartini, and was allowed to possess more of his
master's excellence than any other.

The opera in which I was to make my appearance
at Florence, was " II Francese in Italia,"" — the
Frenchman in Italy. I was to play the Frenchman,
and as it was a good part, Lord Cowper advised
me to take some lessons in acting, for which pur-
pose he introduced me to Laschi, who had been the
greatest actor of the day, but was at that time
living in retirement at a country-house near Flo-
rence. He undertook to instruct me, and did it
con amore ; nothing could exceed the pains he took
with me, and I endeavoured by rigid attention to
reap the full benefit of his instruction.

Campigli advised me to leave my lodging at the
hotel, and placed me in the house of one Signer

108 REMINISCENCES OF

Cechi, his stage-manager, a very good sort of man,
who took in theatrical people. — (If I might be
allowed a pun, I should say, more managers than
one do that.) At his house I had a good bed-room.,,
the use of a large drawing-room, in common with
other boarders, with breakfast, dinner, coffee,
supper, and as much of the wine of the country as
I chose every day, for 1Z. 1.5$. British money, per
month ! ff ^\\

Amongst the boarders was Signor Andreozzi,
who was then composing an opera for the Pergola
theatre. He was an eccentric man and a great
genius, and his language was always technical.
He told me one morning that he had just called
upon Morichelli, the prima donna in his opera,
for whom he was composing a song. " I found
her," said he, " in a motivo penseroso. I approached
her in andante Siciliano, followed by a movement
allegretto vivace , when she ran up a division of
abuse con spirito, and came out with two false fifths
and a change of key so discordant, that I was

O J

obliged to quit the house in a motto prestissimo, to
volti subito and run down stairs, leaving her scream-
ing in tempo furioso /"

The rehearsals began ; we had a fine orchestra
and a good company. My prima donna was Signoni
Lortinella, a native of Rome : she was called Orta-
belia, from her extraordinary beauty ; indeed, I

MICHAEL KELLY. 109

never saw any thing more lovely than she was ; she
was also a very fine singer. Signer Morigi, the
primo buffo, who had been so popular in London
in the part of the German Soldier, in Piccini's
" La Buona Figliuola." He was still a great actor,
though infirm. He never sung his old song,
" Paterno Giudizzio," without applause ; for if the
audience failed, he never failed to applaud himself.
He would make his exit, clapping his hands loudly,
and saying, " Well ! if they want taste, I do not !"
One thing I must say of him, poor fellow ! during
the whole time T knew him I never once saw him
guilty of ebriety ! yet, having been a great fa-
vourite, the sober Tuscans laughed at him and
with him, and found an excuse for his failing in his
misfortunes ; they said he was driven to the last and
worst resource of the unhappy by the death of his
only child, a beautiful girl, full of talent and pro-
mise, who lost her senses, and died in a mad-house
in Bologna in her twenty-third year !

The eventful night fixed for my first appearance
at length arrived. I made my d&but, and received
a most flattering reception. I was encored in two
of my songs and a duet. Though, at that time,
I would not have exchanged situations with the
Grand Duke himself, I was so elated by my success ;
yet I could not avoid attributing it, in a great
measure, to my extreme youth, and the strong

110 REMINISCENCES OF

party made for me by Lord and Lady Cowper,
and all the English that were in Florence ; besides,
I was the first British male singer who had ever
sung in Italy, or indeed on the Continent. Several
other persons of distinction also patronised my first
appearance, which was honoured by the presence of
the Pretender, who entered his box before the opera
began. He was at that time very old and infirm,
yet there appeared the remains of a very handsome
man. He was very tall, but stooped considerably,
and was usually supported by two of his suite,
between whom he hobbled ; in this state he visited
one of the theatres every night (he had a box in
each) ; in a few minutes after he was seated, he
fell asleep, and continued to slumber during the
whole performance. The Italians always called him
the King of England, and he had the arms of
England over the gates of his palace, and all his
servants wore the royal livery. The order of the
Garter, which he wore when I saw him, he left to
his natural daughter, Princess Stoiberg.

The magnificent theatre, La Pergola, was opes
at this time ; during the spring season, it was con-
sidered the first in Italy. Here I first saw our old
favourite, Rovedino, perform with the prima donna
La Morichelli, and excellent they both were, in
Anfossi's comic opera, u II Viaggiatore Felice."
There wras another theatre, a small one, La Via

MICHAEL KELLY. Ill

del Cocomera, in which Morelli had often delighted
the Florentines with his magnificent bass voice,
which, take it for all in all, was the finest I have
ever heard.

It is perhaps not generally known, that, in the
early part of his life, Morelli was Lord Cowper's
volante, or running footman. One night, when
going to bed, his Lordship's attention was attracted
by some one singing an air, from an opera then in
vogue ; the person was seated on the steps of a
church, opposite to his Lordship's palace: the
prodigious quality of the voice, the fine ear and
excellent taste displayed, astonished his Lordship.
He ordered his valet to inquire who the extra-
ordinary performer could be ; the valet replied,
" that he knew very well ; it was young Giovanni,
one of his Lordship's volantes. His ear for music
is so perfect," said the valet, <; that whatever he
hears, he catches instantly : he often sings to the
servants, and is the delight of us ail."' The follow-
ing morning, Giovanni was ushered into his Lord-
ship's breakfast room, where he sang several songs,
in a style and with execution to surprise him still
more ! His Lordship ordered Signor Mansoli,
Signor Verolli, and Camparini, Maestro di Cappella
to the Grand Duke, to hear him : they all declared
it the finest voice they had ever heard, and that he
only wanted instruction to become the very first bass

REMINISCENCES OF

singer in the world ! " Then," said Lord Cowpeiv
" that he shall not want long, — from this moment
I take him under my protection, and he shall have
the best instruction Italy can afford."

His Lordship kept his word ; and for two years,
Morelli had the first masters that money could pro-
cure. At the end of that time, he was engaged as
primo buffo at Leghorn. He then went the round
of all the principal theatres with great eclat. At
the Teatro della Valle in Rome, he was perfectly
idolized, often singing at the Carnival. He was
engaged at the Pergola theatre ; and his success,
on his return to Florence, was triumphant indeed !
I have often heard him say, that the proudest day
of his life was that on which his former master, Lord
Cowper, invited him to dine with him. This must,
indeed, have been gratifying to him ; but what
honour does it not reflect on the liberality of his noble
and generous patron !

I had the good fortune to be noticed by Signor
Giuarduci, the celebrated soprano, and he gave me
a few lessons. He had been the first cantabile
singer of his time, and his sostenuto singing was still
admirable. I went to pass a few days with him, at
a villa which he had built, on his retirement from
public life, at Montefiascone, his native town. ' From
the house, there were beautiful views of the Lake
of Balseno, and the Hills of Viterbo; but the pros-

MICHAEL KELLY. 113

pect most interesting to me, was the vineyard !
The wines of Montefiascone are considered ex-
quisite, and I must say, I proved my opinion of
them by copious libations ! Fortunately, Signor
Giuarduci was a liberal and hospitable landlord;
and I shall ever retain a grateful sense of his
kindness.

While performing at Florence, I received a letter
from Mr. Linley, the father-in-law of Mr. Sheridan,
and joint patentee with him in Drury Lane Theatre,
offering me an engagement for five years, as first
singer; and I was on the point of replying to him,
when I received another letter from him, stating,
that he must reluctantly decline entering into any
engagement with me for the present, as he had re-
ceived a prohibition from my father, who even
threatened to take legal means to prevent it ; which,
my being under age, allowed him to do. I thought
this both hard and unaccountable, but, as there was
no remedy, I was obliged to submit. I afterwards
learned that this gave great mortification to Stephen
Storace, who was in England, and the originator of
the offer to me.

At the latter part of June, my engagement ended
at Florence ; but my friend Campigli told me, he
could offer me an engagement for the Teatro
Saint Moise, at Venice, as first tenor singer in the
comic opera. This pleasing intelligence I received

114« REMINISCENCES OF

most graciously, and gladly accepted the engage-
ment.

During July and August, I was on the pave,
without an engagement ; but I had youth, health,
and high spirits, with certain zecchinos remaining
in my pocket to give them play : add to these, that
I had very good friends in Florence ; Lord Cow-
per's house was always open to me, as was that of
our Ambassador; and the Polish Prince, Ponia-
towski, a fine young man, who spoke English
fluently, invited me to his concerts and dinners, and
gave me frequent marks of his esteem. There was
also a Mr. Faulkner, who was very kind to me, and
who feasted the Florentines sumptuously.

Florence is a delightful place to live in ; the climate
is pure, the country charming, and the city mag-
nificent. In my time, the Trinita Bridge (the most
beautiful bridge in the world, built entirely of white
marble, and adorned with four fine statues, repre-
senting the Seasons,) was the constant place of resort
for serenaders of all descriptions. Every square,
street, indeed every corner of this superb city, is
filled with statuary, architecture, and paintings, by
Michael Angelo, Bandinelli, Benvenuto Cellini, &c.
&c. In the fifteenth century, a rich merchant called
Pitti, built the fine palace which still bears his name ;
but overwhelmed by the expense, he became a
bankrupt, and the palace was purchased by the

MICHAEL KELLY. 115

Medici family. It has continued ever since the resi-
dence of the Grand Dukes of Tuscany.

The Dominican church was richly hung with
striped silk, red and yellow. The monks of the
convent had in it an apothecary's shop, in which
they made up medicines of the best quality, and sold
them at a very cheap rate : they also sold all kinds
of perfumery. The church of St. Marc is a very
fine structure ; the remains of the celebrated Politian
are buried there.

The Casano Wood, something resembling our
Hyde Park, is a delightful ride, where the nobility
drove their own carriages ; on the holidays parti-
cularly, the whole population of Florence assembled
there ; and there II Commandatore Pazzi, a noble-
man of immense fortune, used to exhibit his coach-
manship, driving his phaeton with six cream-coloured
horses, which he managed with great dexterity.
The Baboli Gardens were much frequented in the
evening, and were very beautiful. The peasantry
of the environs of Florence are considered rich,
and all, in a greater or less degree, gifted with
a talent for poetry. No young man would dare
to approach his mistress if he were not able to
declare his passion in verse, or improvvisare on her
beauties !

During my idle time, I went with a large party
to Forligani, about twenty-five miles from Florence,

116 REMINISCENCES OF

in the Upper Val di Arno, to witness the grand fes-
tival, in honour of Santa Massinina. It is a curious
fact, that for months, sixteen or seventeen thousand
of the peasantry are kept in training to represent the
story of David and Goliath. They form two grand
armies, the Philistines and the Israelites. Their
kings, princes, &c. are all dressed magnificently in
ancient costume, with ancient martial instruments,
&c. on both sides. The programme was very clearly
made out, and well executed. The whole of the
challenge, David's acceptance of it, his breaking his
adversary's head with a stone, and then cutting it
off with his own sword, were all performed in very
excellent pantomime. After the general battle and
route of the Philistines, the Israelites return, and
place David in a triumphal car ; his prisoners fol-
lowing, amidst the clang of martial instruments, and
the shouts of between twenty and thirty thousand
people.

From this extraordinary fetes I went for three
days to Sienna, a very pretty city, remarkable for
the beauty of its women. The natives of this town
have none of the coarse guttural manner of speaking
which prevails in Florence, and other parts of
Tuscany ; indeed, they speak the purest Italian,
and in the most common conversation fall into
poetry. Ask a Siennese the way to the town, — he
answers,

MICHAEL KELLY. 117

" Varca il flume,
Passa il monte,
Avera Sienna
Nella fronte.'\

The landlord of the inn- where I put up, took me
to see a tomb in the cathedral, bearing the following
epitaph, — a hint to wine-bibbers : " Wine gives
life ! it was death to me. I never beheld the morn-
ing sun with sober eyes ; even my bones are thirsty.
— Stranger ! sprinkle my grave with wine ; empty
the cup, and depart."

While I staid at Florence I had the honour of
being intimate with a rich Jew, of the name of
Jacobs ; he had two beautiful daughters, fine musi-
cians, and lived amongst his tribe with splendid
hospitality. The Jews enjoy more privileges in
Florence than in any other Catholic country I ever
was in.

When I quitted Florence, wishing to pass a
short time at Bologna, on my way to Venice,
I made an agreement with a vetturino, who had
three excellent mules, to take me to Bologna ; and

7 o '

set out, under his guidance, upon my journey.
We travelled rather slowly ; but the roads over the
Apennines were rugged and steep. The beauty
and sublimity of the prospects, however, compen-
sated amply for the difficulty, or even -clanger, of
crossing their snow-covered summits. On the top

118 REMINISCENCES OF

of one \vas a con vent, where we slept the first night,
and found a good supper and a hospitable welcome.
My vetturino, I must confess, was somewhat of a
convivialist, and, to beguile the time, sang Tasso
and Ariosto's beautiful verses, with Stentorian lungs,
even up to the very gates of Bologna.

Bologna la Grassa, so called from the luxu-
rious country in which it stands, its plenty and
cheapness, is a very fine city. There are piazzas
on each side of the street, which guard passengers
equally from sun and rain ; those in the city of
Chester resemble them in an inferior degree. The
principal curiosities are the leaning tower, so often
described.

The morning after my arrival, I sought out the
house of Signor Passerini, to whom I had a letter,
the purport of which was, to request he would
place me in a cheap and convenient boarding house,
for the short time I had to remain in Bologna.
To my surprise I found he was a hair-dresser,
but it gave me great pleasure to find in him the
father of my respected singing-master, Signor
Passerini, who, as the reader will remember, was

one of mv first instructors. The old man was de-
j

lighted to hear me repeat anecdotes of his son, whom
he had not seen for many years; and I was so
gratified to find something like an acquaintance
in the old man, that I took lodgings in his house,

MICHAEL KELLY. 119

•

where I had a neat first floor, three meals a day,
and wine at discretion, (as the French say of bread,)
for I/. 86'. British per month. His shop was in a
central situation, and the high temple of gossip.
Numbers of theatrical and literary people frequented
it. There I was introduced to Lovatini, whose
fame was so great in England, and to Signer Trebi,
also a very popular singer : they were natives of
Bologna, and had retired from public life with very-
ample means.

One morning, sitting very quietly in my dressing
gown in the shop, to have my hair dressed, I sud-
denly heard " The Pope ! the Pope !" cried out
from every quarter. His Holiness had arrived the
day before from Rome, and was now on his way to
visit Cardinal Buona Compagnia. Regardless of
my appearance, my hair half dressed, my face co-
vered with powder, my dressing gown the same
and flying open, I rushed out of the shop, and
ran after the carriage of his Holiness, even to the
very gates of the Cardinal's palace. I was not a
little flattered at seeing how completely I divided
public attention with his Holiness. Fancying my-
self to be " a marvellous proper man," I placed
this to the score of n;y personal attractions ; but
certain symptoms of laughter, which ended in roars,
referred me to my dressing gown for an explanation,
and I retired at full speed, laughing too, I confess,

120 REMINISCENCES OF

although rather mortified to find that I had given
more entertainment than I received.

The theatre, which is one of the largest in
Europe, was open, and I saw Cimarosa's beauti-
ful opera, " II Falegname," ably performed by
three great buffo singers — Mandini, Blassi, and
Leperini. At this period, Bologna was the mart
(the carnival being over in all other places) to which
actors from all parts of Italy resorted, to make
their future engagements. The large Cafe dei
Virtuosi was filled with them from morning till
night, and it was really amusing to see them swarm
round a manager the moment he entered. I passed
much of my time there, and there first saw and
heard the two extraordinary blind brothers, called
" Le bravi Orbi." They were natives of Bologna,
and during the spring and summer travelled to
Rome, Naples, Venice, &c. ; their talents were
every where held in the highest estimation ; the one
played the violin with exquisite taste, the other the
violoncello with such wonderful execution, as to
have obtained from the Bolognese the additional
cognomen of " Spacca note" — u Split note.1'* I
never missed an opportunity of hearing them.

Signor Lovatini took me to see the Specola
Museum, which the Bolognese consider the finest
in the world. I was astonished to hear that the
wax figures there, were the work of a female, a

O '

MICHAEL KELLY. 121

laative of the town. I also saw the church of La
Madonna della Santa Lucia, where she is to be
seen as large as life ; the church stands on a hill,
and, to guard La Madonna from bad weather,

'••'

when she is carried in procession, a covered way,
nearly six miles in length, has been built as an
approach to it.

I had a letter to deliver to a Bolognese noble-
man, Signer Ferussini, a singular character, though

,1 1 f ' 1 ^C 11 1 ,1

A very worthy man ; he was frightfully ugly and
hump-backed, yet he was afflicted with the dis-
ease of supposing every woman who saw him in
love with him ; as he was rich he spared no ex-
pense in adorning himself, in order to set off his
charms to the best advantage. I was waiting for
him one morning, when he came from his toilettev
dressed in a new suit, of the richest and most
expensive quality — painted, patched, and made up
in every possible way. He placed himself before
a large mirror, and indulged himself thus : — " I
am handsome, young, and amiable ; the women
follow me, and I am healthy and rich: — what on
earth do I want ?" — •" Common sense, you rascal,"
said his father (who had just entered the room)
in a fury, and immediately knocked him down.
Even the immortal Listen might take a lesson in
the ludicrous, from my astonished Adonis !

I found here by accident Signora Palmini, the

VOL. I. G

REMINISCENCES OF

prima donna, who was engaged to sing with me at
Venice. We agreed to travel together. She was
a very handsome woman, though on a large scale ;
her husband, au contraire, was a diminutive shri-
velled old man, and jealous in the extreme : he,
with her mother (an ugly old body,) a little black
boy, a servant, and a lap-dog, composed her suite.
With these rational and pleasing companions did
I embark in the canal passage-boat from Bologna
to Ferrara ; it was drawn by horses, and nearly
half the time employed in getting through the
locks. When wre arrived at Ferrara, we deter-
mined on remaining there a day to look about us :
and accordingly left our boat, and went to the
Hotel de St. Marc ; we had a very good dinner,
and a very merry landlord. He told us many
stories in his talkative way : amongst others,
one of the mad poet, Ariosto, as he chose to call
him.

It appears that Ariosto, one day passing a pot-
ter's shop in Ferrara, heard the owner singing a
stanza of the Orlando Furioso. Attracted by
his own poetry, he listened, and found that the
potter mangled it most miserably, rendering a most
beautiful passage rank nonsense. This so enraged
the poet, that, having a stick in his hand, he laid
about him lustily, and broke every thing he could
reach. When the poor devil of a potter expos-

MICHAEL KELLY.

tulated with him for destroying the property of
a man who had never done him any injury, he
replied — " 'Tis false, you have done me the deepest
injury; you have murdered my verses; — I have
caught you in the very fact." When pressed
to pay the poor man for some of his property, his
only answer was — " Let him learn to sing my poe-
try, and I will leave alone his pottery."

Ferrara, called Ferrara la Civile, had some noble
buildings in it, and fine wide streets, but so thinly
peopled that the grass actually grew in many of
them. The greater part of the inhabitants wore
long swords, which they still call Andrea Ferraras,
and were in general expert swordsmen. The place
was so miserably dull, that I was glad when the
morning came, and we set off in a coach for La
Ponte del Lago Scuro, where we arrived in the
evening, and embarked again in an excellent barge
on the river Po. We had a number of passen-
gers on board — friars, Jews, singers, dancers, &c.
Sec. ah1 mirth and jollity. A good dinner and
supper were provided on board, and each found
good spirits, dancing, and singing. From the Po
we got into the Adigo, and from that river entered
the Laguno leading to Venice.

Venice! dear, beautiful Venice! never shall I
forget the sensations of surprise and delight which
I experienced when I first caught sight of thee !

REMINISCENCES OF

thy noble palaces ! thy magnificent churches, with
their cloud-capt spires ! appearing as if just arisen
from the sea, and floating on the surface ! ' Years
and years have passed away, yet I still call thee,
dear, beautiful Venice !

On our arrival, we anchored near the bridge of
the Rialto ; I and my travelling companions took
up our abode at the Hotel called the Queen of
England. After dinner, the caro sposo of my
prima donna went to inform the manager of our
arrival. He soon returned with the face of him
who " drew Priam's curtains in the dead of night,1'
and told us that our manager, he by whom we
" were to live, or have no life," was not to be found!
that not being able to make his deposit, he was
unable to make his appearance, and that we had
" all the world before us where to choose."

Here was a pretty coup for a man with five
zecchinos in his pocket. To render the destruc-
tion of our hopes intelligible, I must explain, that
so many needy speculators had taken the thea-
tre, and failed, leaving their performers destitute,
that the Senate had felt it necessary to interfere,
and had appointed a person, under whom the
following regulations were to be strictly observed :
The person proposing to take the theatre was
compelled to give in a list of his performers,
their salaries, &c. together with every estimated

MICHAEL KELLY. 125

expense attending his proposed arrangements ; and
then was forced to give security, or actually deposit
money to the amount so stated, before he could pro-
cure a licence to open the doors !

My prima donna, her caro sposo, mamma, little
black boy, lap-dog, &c. returned to Bologna, as the
most likely place to procure another engagement.
And here was I left in Venice with the cheering
prospect of being six months, (the period for which
I was engaged), without employment ! I was penny-
less ! It is true I had a few good clothes, and a
small stock of linen ; but then I had a large stock
of spirits, and felt no poverty in the article of
conceit; there, indeed, I was affluent, and stood
mighty well with myself; for hope, the " nurse
of young desire," never forsook me. And I had
a presentiment that something fortunate would turn
up for me !

In the boat from Ferrara there came with us a
young man of the name of Lampieri, a fine, gene-
rous-hearted fellow, the son of a silk-merchant at
Florence, on his way to visit his uncle at Trieste.
He was bound to Venice to take a passage for that
place, and as we had formed a sort of friendship on
board, and he wished to stay a few days to see what
was to be seen, we agreed to live together. A
friend of his, a good-natured fellow, who was to act

126 REMINISCENCES OF

as cicerone, procured me a lodging on a cheap scale,
and we dined every day at a table d'hote.

Morelli was then engaged at the Teatro St.
Samuel. Lampieri, who had known him in Flo-
rence, introduced me to him, and he procured us the
freedom of his theatre. He again introduced me to
Signor Michael delPAgato, manager of the theatre
of St. Benetto, the first serious opera-house, (the
Phenice theatre was not then built,) who politely
o-ave the entree before and behind the curtain to

myself and companion. This was a source of
oreat delight to me. The first opera I saw there
was Orpheo and Euridice. Orpheus was performed
by Rubinelli, a native of Brescia ; his fine contre-
alto voice has never been surpassed, and he \vas an
excellent actor as well as a sound musician. The
prirna donna was Signora Banti, who had just then
returned from London, where she had been engaged
at the Opera House. As many of my readers
doubtless remember, she had a finely marked coun-
tenance, and a noble soprano voice, but was no
musician. The difficulties arising from this de-
ficiency she obviated by an extraordinary quickness
and niceness of ear, perfect intonation, and strong
feeling. She played Euridice finely. The music
of this opera was by Bertoni ; one duet between
Banti and Rubinelli was almost the most exquisite

MICHAEL KELLY. 127

treat I ever received. Two such voices I never
heard before nor since. When a superior contre-
alto voice and a fine soprano unite in a duet, nothing
can surpass the effect !

The Venetians are in general adorers of music,
and Venice, one of the first cities in Europe for the
cultivation of that art. It is famous for its female
conservatories, of which there are four, which are
in fact foundling hospitals, supported by wealthy
citizens, &c. where the girls are maintained and
educated ; some are married from them, and those
who display strong talent for music are instructed
by the very best masters. They gave concerts
every Sunday evening, and on festival days ; I heard
two, one at La Pieta, the other at La Mendicant!
— the former celebrated for its fine orchestra, the
latter for its singers. At La Pieta there were a
thousand girls, one hundred and forty of whom
were musicians : all the instruments were charm-
ingly played by girls. The churches were crowded
on those occasions ; and while the performance
was actually going on, the most perfect silence
was observed ; but at the conclusion of a piece
of music, which excited their approbation, the
audience expressed it in the most extraordinary
manner, — they coughed aloud, and scraped their
feet on the ground, for some moments, but did

128 REMINISCENCES OF

not utter a word ! which seemed to me a practical
mode of pointing out the beauty of concord in
opposition to the horrors of discord.

Michael delP Agato, who was, as I said before,
the manager of St. Benetto, invited me to dine
with him tete-a-tete. He expressed a friendly
feeling for me, and gave me advice, which sub-
sequently I found of the greatest utility to me.
" In this city," said he, " you will find innumer-
able pleasures ; your youth and good spirits will
lay you open to many temptations ; but against
one thing, and one thing only, I particularly cau-
tion you : — never utter one word against the laws
or customs of Venice, — do not suffer, yourself to be
betrayed even into a jest on this subject. You never
know to whom you speak ; in every corner spies
are lurking, numbers of whom are employed at a
high price to ensnare the unwary, and report the
language of strangers; but with no other protec-
tion than a silent tongue, you may do what you
like, and enjoy every thing without molestation.
I will relate an anecdote," added he, " which will
give you some idea of our police.*"

" A countryman of yours came to this city, ac-
companied by a Swiss valet ; he took up his resi-
dence at the Scuda di Francia. On his return home
one evening, he found his writing-desk broken

MICHAEL KELLY. 129

open, and a large sum of money taken from it.
After making peaceable inquiries, without effect, he
flew into a violent rage, charged the landlord and
waiters, &c. with being thieves; but, above all, he
called them Venetian thieves, and cursed himself
for having come into a country where the property
of a traveller was not safe even in his own hotel. In
the height of his wrath he dismissed his valet for
going out and leaving the door of his apartment
unlocked ; and having thus vented his displeasure,
thought the matter ended; but not so. On the
third morning after this event, he was roused out
of his sleep by the officers of the Inquisition, who
informed him, that he must go immediately before
the three grand inquisitors. His feelings were not to
be envied when, hoodwinked, he was led on board
a gondola, and thence into a room hung with black,
where sat his judges. After due preparation and
solemnity, and a severe lecture on the enormity of
the abuse which he had uttered against the Venetian
State, its laws, and subjects, he received a peremp-
tory order to quit its territories in twenty-four
hours ; this he of course tremblingly promised to
obey ; but just as he turned to leave the tribunal,
a curtain was suddenly drawn aside, behind which
lay the strangled corpse of his Swiss valet, and the
stolen bag of money by his side." I confess this
instance of the summary mode of administering

G 5

130 REMINISCENCES OF

justice in Venice, made a deeper impression upon
me than all the good Signer's advice.

About this time I wrote to my father, acquaint-
ing him with the situation in which I was left, and
requesting a remittance, and gave my address to
the care of Signor Zanotti, at the Hotel La Regina
d"* Inghilterra.

Venice 1 dear, beautiful Venice ! scene of harmony
and love ! where all was gaiety and mirth, revelry
and pleasure, with what warm feelings do I recal
thee to my memory ; day and night were the
gondoliers singing barcarolles, or the verses of Tasso
and Ariosto to Venetian airs; barges full of
musicians on the Grande Canale, serenading their
enamoratas; the Piazza of St. Marc brilliantly
lighted up ; ten thousand masks and ballad singers ;
the coffee-houses filled with beautiful women, with
their cicisbeos ; or if alone, unmolested, taking their
refreshments and enjoying themselves without re-
straint. Venice was the paradise of women, and
the Venetian women worthy of a paradise at least
of Mahomet's. They were perfect Houri ; and the
Venetian dialect, spoken by a lovely woman, is the
softest and most delicious music in the world to
him whom she favours. In short, a Venetian
woman, in her zindale dress, well answers young
Mirable's description in the play of the Inconstant ;
44 Give me the plump Venetian, who smiles upon

MICHAEL KELLY". 131

me like the glowing sun, and meets my lips like
sparkling wine ; her person shining as the glass, her
spirit like the foaming liquor.""

My friend Lampieri received a letter from his
uncle at Trieste, desiring him to proceed thither
immediately ; this was bad news for me ; for besides
the loss of my agreeable companion, I felt that I
should lose his pecuniary assistance, which, " though
somewhat of the smallest, Master Matthew," as
Bobadil says, was generously and frankly given.
A Ragusan polacca was to sail in about a week,
on board of which he took his passage ; the inter-
mediate time we resolved to pass in pleasure ;
the mornings we usually spent on the Rialto, —
it was a favourite lounge, crowded with shops,
where merchants of all countries meet. It is their
exchange, and a scene of continual bustle, crowded
with Christians, Turks, Armenians, and Jews. The
latter enjoyed but little liberty in this city, — they
were obliged to wear a piece of red cloth in the
hat, by way of distinction, (which, considering how
much the hand of Nature has done for them in
that way, seems superfluous,) and to live in a par-
ticular quarter called La Giudica, and were obliged,
under a heavy penalty, to be in their houses before
sun-set.

When Lampieri was forced to go, I was unhappy
enough; my finances were becoming deplorable,

REMINISCENCES OF

and I was obliged to part with a kind and dear
friend. I saw him on board the polacca, and took
leave of him with an aching heart. He had ex-
pended almost his last ducat, and I had but two
zecchinos left wherewith to fight my way through
this wicked world. My spirits, for the first time,
deserted me : I never passed so miserable a night
in my life, and in shame of my " doublet and hose,1'
I felt very much inclined to " cry like a child."
While tossing on my pillow, however, I chanced to
recollect a letter which my landlord of Bologna,
Signor Passerini, had given me to a friend of his, a
Signor Andrioli : for, as he told me, he thought
the introduction might be of use to me.

In , the morning, I went to the Rial to coffee-
house, to which I was directed by the address of
the letter. Here I found the gentleman who was
the object of my search ; after reading my creden-
tials very graciously, he smiled, and requested me
to take a turn with him in the Piazza St. Marc.
He was a fine looking man, of about sixty years
old. I remarked there was an aristocratic manner
about him, and he wore a very large tie-wig, well
powdered, with an immensely long tail. He ad-
dressed me with a benevolent and patronizing air,
and told me that he should be delighted to be of
service to me, and bade me from that moment con-
sider myself under his protection. " A little

MiCttAEL KELLY* 153

business," said he, " calls me away at this moment,
but if you will meet me here at two o'clock we will
adjourn to my Casino, where, if you can dine on
one dish, you will perhaps do me the favour to
partake of a boiled capon and rice. I can only
offer you that ; perhaps a rice soup, for which my
cook is famous; and it may be, just one or two
little things not worth mentioning."

A boiled capon — rice soup — other little things,
thought I, — manna in the wilderness ! I strolled
about, not to get an appetite, for that was ready,
but to kill time. My excellent, hospitable, long-
tailed friend, was punctual to the moment; I
joined him, and proceeded towards his residence.

As we were bending our steps thither, we hap-
pened to pass a Luganigera's (a ham-shop), where
there was some ham ready dressed in the window.
My powdered patron paused, — it was an awful
pause ; he reconnoitred, examined, and at last said,
" Do you know, Signer, I was thinking that some
of that ham would eat deliciously with our capon :
— I am known in this neighbourhood, and it would
not do for me to be seen buying ham — but do you
go in, my child, and get two or three pounds of it,
and I will walk on, and wait for you."

I went in of course, and purchased three pounds
of the ham, to pay for which, I was obliged to
change one of my two zecchinos. I carefully folded

134 REMINISCENCES OF

up the precious viand, and rejoined my excellent
patron, who eyed the relishing slices with the air
of a gourmand; indeed, he was somewhat diffuse
in his own dispraise for not having recollected to
order his servant to get some before he left home.
During this peripatetic lecture on gastronomy, we
happened to pass a cantina; — in plain English — a
wine cellar. At the door he made another full
stop.

" In that house," said he, " they sell the best
Cyprus wine in Venice, — peculiar wine, — a sort of
wine not to be had any where else; I should like you
to taste it ; but I do not like to be seen buying wine
by retail to carry home; — go in yourself, buy a
couple of flasks, and bring them to my Casino ;
nobody hereabouts knows you, and it won't signify
in the least."

This last request was quite appalling ; my pocket
groaned to its very centre : however, recollecting
that I was in the high road to preferment, and that
a patron, cost what he might, was still a patron, I
made the plunge, and, issuing from the cantina, set
forward for my venerable friend's Casino, with
three pounds of ham in my pocket, and a flask of
wine under each arm, sans six sous et sans souci f

I continued walking with my excellent and long-
tailed patron, expecting every moment to see an
elegant, agreeable residence, smiling in all the

MICHAEL KELLY". 135

beauties of nature and art ; when, at last, in a dirty
miserable lane, at the door of a tall dingy-looking
house, my Maecenas stopped, indicated that we
had reached our journey's end, and, marshalling
me the way that I should go, began to mount
three flights of sickening stairs, at the top of which
I found his Casino, — it was a little Cas, and a
deuce of a place to boot, — in plain English^ it was a
garret. The door was opened by a wretched old
miscreant, who acted as cook, and whose drapery, to
use a gastronomic simile, was " done to rags."

Upon a ricketty apology for a table was placed a
tattered cloth, which once had been white, and
two plates ; and presently in came a large bowl of
boiled rice.

" Where's the capon ?" said my patron to his
man.

" Capon!" echoed the ghost of a servant —

*' Has not the rascal sent it?" cried the master.

" Rascal !" repeated the man, apparently ter-
rified.

" I knew he would not," exclaimed my patron,
with an air of exultation for which I saw no cause ;
" well, well, never mind, put down the ham and the
wine ; with those and the rice, I dare say, young
gentleman, you will be able to make it out. — I
ought to apologise — but in fact it is all your own

136 REMINISCENCES OF

fault that there is not more ; if I had fallen in
with you earlier, we should have had a better
dinner.1'

I confess I was surprised, disappointed, and
amused ; but, as matters stood, there was no use
in complaining, and accordingly we fell to, neither
of us wanting the best of all sauces — appetite.

I soon perceived that my promised patron had
baited his trap with a fowl to catch a fool ; but as
we ate and drank, all care vanished, and, rogue
as I suspected him to be, my long-tailed friend
was a clever witty fellow, and, besides telling me
a number of anecdotes, gave me some very good
advice; amongst other things to be avoided, he
cautioned me against numbers of people who, in
Venice, lived only by duping the unwary. I
thought this counsel came very ill from him,
" Above all,1' said he, " keep up your spirits, and
recollect the Venetian proverb, Cento anni di
malinconia non pagheranno un soldo dei debiti." —
" A hundred years of melancholy will not pay one
farthing of debt."

After we had regaled ourselves upon my ham
and wine, we separated ; he desired me to meet him
the following morning at the coffee-house, and told
me he would give me a ticket for the private
theatre of Count Pepoli, where I should see a
comedy admirably acted by amateurs ; and in

MICHAEL KELLY. 137

justice to my long-tailed friend, I must say, he was
punctual, and gave me the ticket, which, however,
differed from a boiled capon in one respect — he
got it gratis.

Having obtained this passport, I dressed myself,
and went to the parterre, which was filled with
elegant company. The play was " La Vedova
Scaltra," in which the Count Pepoli displayed much
talent. However, I had no heart, no spirit for
amusement, and sat mournful and moneyless, in the
midst of splendour and gaiety, without hope or re-
source, and careless of what became of me ; I was con-
trasting the past with the present, and the prospect
before me, and repeating to myself Dante's ex-
pressive lines, " Non v' e nessun maggiore dolore
che di ricordarsi del tempo felice quando siamo nella
miseria," — when I perceived the eyes of a lady and
gentleman, who were at the upper part of the
parterre, fixed on me, as if they were speaking of
me. At the end of the play, the gentleman
approached me, and said, " Sir, the lady who is
with me, and who is my wife, requests to speak to
you." I went, and she said to me, " I rather think,
Sir, you are the young Englishman (which I was
called at Venice), who was engaged at St. Moise, as
tenor singer."

" I am that unfortunate personage, Madam,"
said I.

138 REMINISCENCES OF

She then introduced herself to me as La Signora
Benini, a name well known all over Italy, as that
of the first comic singer and actress of the day.
She told me that she was going to set off for
Germany in a few days, being engaged as prima
buffa, for the autumn and carnival at Gratz, the
capital of Styria. She had that morning received a
letter from the manager, acquainting her that Signer
Germoli, who was engaged as first tenor singer,
had disappointed him, and eloped to Russia sans
ceremonie ; at the same time authorising her to
engage any person capable, in her opinion, of filling
his place. " Now, Signor CTKelly," (for, at Naples,
Father Dolphin tacked an O to my name,) said the
lady, " I wish to offer you this engagement ; come
and take chocolate with us to-morrow morning, and
we will talk the matter over."

Here was a change ! ten minutes before, a beggar,
in a strange country, plunged in despair; now,
first tenor of the Gratz theatre ; at least it was as
completely settled in my mind, as if the articles had
been actually signed ; and with a bounding heart,
I returned home to my late miserable bed, and
slept — Oh, ye Gods, how I slept !

I was punctual the following morning ; exactly
at ten I was set down by a gondola at the house of
Signora Benini, on the Canale Maggiore. The
Signora received me at her toilette ; where she was

MICHAEL KELLY. 139

braiding up a profusion of fine black hair. I
thought her handsome at the play the night before,
but the Italian women all contrive to look well by
candlelight; nature gives them good features,
and they take care to give themselves good com-
plexions. But Signora Benini wanted not " the
foreign aid of ornament ;" her person was petite, and
beautifully formed ; her features were good, and
she had a pair of brilliant expressive eyes. After
breakfast, she requested me to sing. I sang my
favourite rondo, " Teco resti, anima mia." She
appeared pleased, and said she had no doubt of my
success. The terms, she said, were to be two
hundred zecchinos for the autumn and carnival, and
to be lodged free of expense ; at the same time, she
offered me a seat in her carriage, and to pay my
expenses to Gratz. " Hear this, ye Gods, and
wonder how ye made her !" For fear of accidents, I
signed the engagement before I left the house.

I passed a couple of hours with the Signora
delightfully ; she possessed all the Venetian vivacity
and badinage, together with great good sense and
much good nature. I related my adventure with
my knight of the long-tail, told her of the capon, the
Cyprus wine, &c. ; which amused her greatly. It
seemed she knew his character well : in His younger
days he had been by turns, an actor and a poet, and
was at that time supposed to be a spy in the pay of

140 REMINISCENCES OF

the police ; one of those whom I had been specially
advised most carefully to avoid ; indeed she coun-
selled me to be cautious, but not to slight him ; he
might be a negative friend, but if offended, a posi-
tively dangerous enemy. " Remember the proverb,"
said the Signora, " let sleeping dogs lie ; they may
rise and bite you." While recounting the disburse-
ments which I had made in the purchase of the
repast, she observed that I was reduced to my last
zecchino, and in the kindest manner advanced me
some money on account.

I was now at the very summit of prosperity in
my own opinion ; but one cannot enjoy happiness
alone ; so when I left the Signora, 1 flew to the
coffee-house, where I found the^ knight of the tail.
I desired him to meet me at the Stella d' Oro tavern
at three o'clock, where / would treat him with a
capon. The innkeeper's poulterer was rather more
punctual than my patron's, and we had an excellent
dinner. I related my good fortune, and, in short,
told him every thing that had occurred, except the
advance which I had received ; for, barring the im-
portance of his tail, I thought the knight had a
borrowing countenance.

The Signora, with her husband, her lap-dog,
servant, and myself, set off in a gondola for Mestra,
where we found her travelling-carriage, in which we
proceeded day and night, till we reached Gorizia,

MICHAEL KELLY. 141

"where we remained a day to repose ourselves. The
part of the Venetian States through which we passed
abounds in beauties ; as Goldsmith says,

" Could Nature's beauties satisfy the breast,
The sons of Italy were surely blest."

I suffered greatly from the cold, as we proceeded
into Germany; the roads were hilly and heavy, the
cattle miserable, and the post-boys incorrigible.
But what was all this to me ? I was in a comfortable
carriage, in pleasant society, and seated opposite to
a beautiful woman of six-and- twenty. At length,
we arrived at Gratz ; Signora Benini's house was
elegantly fitted up. The manager waited on her,
and after dinner conducted me to the apartments
which were taken for me. Before I quitted her, the
Signora insisted on my accepting a cover at her
table every day, and indeed evinced the greatest
friendship and hospitality towards me.

A great number of nobility resided in this plea-
sant lively city, and many rich merchants; but
which was far better for me, a great number of
Irish officers, among whom were Generals Dillon,
Dalton, and Kavanagh. General Dalton was
commandant ; and when I was introduced to him,
I was delighted to find that he remembered my
father, for whom he expressed the highest respect,
and indeed said every thing that could gratify the
feelings of a son ; at the same time assuring me he

REMINISCENCES OF

would be happy to see and serve me at all times.
He kept his word amply, for I found in him a father
when I wanted advice, and his acquaintance was of
course an introduction to the best society.

He was an enthusiast about Ireland, and agreed
with me that the Irish language was sweeter and
better adapted for musical accompaniment than any
other, the Italian excepted : and it is true that,
when a child, I have heard my father sing many
pathetic Irish airs, in which the words resembled
Italian so closely, that if I did not know the impos-
sibility, the impression on my memory would be
that I had heard him sing in that language.

To return to Gratz : the time at length arrived
for opening of the operatic campaign. The com-
pany was good, the first comic man, Gugliplmi,
excellent ; La Signora Benini was a great favourite.
The first opera was " La vera Costanza," the music
by Anfossi. I had some good songs in it, and was
in high spirits.

As it was the custom for the ladies, the first
night of the opera, to go in grand gala, the boxes
and parterre were a perfect blaze of diamonds, and
every part of the house was crowded. I was sup-
ported by numbers of my countrymen, who were
present ; and, independently of them, the applause
I received was beyond my expectations, and far
beyond my merits.

The carnival at length arrived, with all its

MICHAEL KELLY. 143

wonted jollity ; and, to my astonishment, I found
that the sober Germans understood masquerading
and keeping up the frolic of the season as well
as the inhabitants of any part of Italy, Venice
excepted. On those occasions I was seldom " lost
in the throng ;" indeed, I had nothing to do but to
enjoy myself.

Amongst the distinguished persons to whom
General Dalton's friendship introduced me, was
the Governor of Gratz, a most highly-gifted
nobleman, whose wife laboured under the extra-
ordinary misfortune of not having seen her own
face for many years ! She was considered the most
complete mistress of the art of enamelling in Ger-
many !

" And all, save the" husband, " could plainly descry,
From whence came her white and her red."

Independently of this little failing, she was
an amiable, accomplished woman, though proud;
and, what was more to my purpose, a good
musician. When General Dal ton introduced me
to her, I had the pleasure of hearing her play
very finely on the piano-forte. I recollect she
found fault with the manner in which my hair was
dressed, observing that it would become me better
if combed off my forehead. I defended my mode,
merely on the score of being used to it ; on which

144 11EMTNISCENCES OF

she said, " My good young man, bear in mind
what I now say; while you live, eat and drink to
please yourself; but in dress always study to
please others."

About this time, G retry 's opera of " Selima
and Azor" was sent from Vienna, and put into
rehearsal. Signora Benini performed Selima ; and
I the Prince. It was brought out under the im-
mediate patronage of the Governor's lady, who
attended all the rehearsals herself. No expense
was spared on the scenery and decorations. The
second dress I wore, that of the Prince, after
being transformed from the monster, was very
magnificent ; and, to render it more so, the Countess
made my turban herself, and almost covered it
with her own diamonds ! I often thought, while
bearing those shining "honours thick upon me,1'
that I should be a lucky fellow, if, like Gil Bias,
I could make a bolt, merely for the sake of a, jest !
but had I been so inclined, it " might not so
easily be,1' as the Countess, though she had the
highest opinion of my honour, thought it not
amiss to place her maitre d'hotel behind the scenes,
to support it, should it be inclined to make a slip
with her diamonds ! I was allowed this splendour
only for three nights — at the end of the third, I
sighed, and returning the turban to the lynx-eyed
maitre d'hotel, said, with Cardinal Wolsey, " Fare-

MICHAEL KELLY. 145

well, a long farewell to all my greatness ;" — " Addio
a tutta la mia grandeaza."

The end of the Carnival was now approaching,
and with it was to terminate my engagement. It
was fortunate for the manager that his season was
so near a close, for, returning one morning from a
ball, where I had been heated by dancing, I caught
a dreadful cold, which confined me to my bed,
and an intermezzo opera was got up without me.
In a short time I got rid of my fever, but my
voice was deprived of all power, or rather of in-
tonation. Although I was gifted by nature with a
perfect ear, yet, when I attempted to sing, my
voice was so sharp as to be near a note above the
instruments, and though I could distinguish the
monstrous difference, I could not by any effort '
correct it. I was obliged to give up singing at the
theatre, and was completely wretched ! My com-
plaint baffled the skill of all the faculty at that
time in Gratz, though the surgeon of an Irish
regiment quartered there, a Mr. O'Brein, who
stood high in his profession, assured me that it
arose from great relaxation ; but even in that case,
it was impossible to account for the loss of ear and
intonation, which nature had formed so perfect.
He, however, expressed great hopes of my reco-
very, resting them on my youth and excellent
constitution, and bade me look for the return of

VOL. I. H

146 REMINISCENCES OF

fine weather with good spirits. But, above all, he
advised me, if possible, to return to the mild and
genial air of Italy, that of Germany being too
keen for me ; so much so, as to render the return
of my voice doubtful, notwithstanding his hopes.
On his expressing the same opinion to General
Dalton, the General sent for me, and in the most
soothing terms, desired me to prepare for an imme-
diate return to Italy, as both my life and bread
depended on it.

What a reverse of fortune ! but a few weeks
before I was the happiest of the happy ! caressed
by my friends ! a favourite with the public ! with
every prospect of a renewed engagement ; possessing
health, spirits, and competence.

My kind patron, the General, gave me letters
of recommendation to the Countess of Rosenberg,
(an English Lady, whose maiden name was Wynne,)
to the Austrian Ambassador, Count Durazzo,
Count Priuli, the Cornaro family, and to the senator
Benzoni; besides these, I had a particular intro-
duction to Mr. Strange, British charge d'affaires in
Venice.

The stage-manager of the theatre, an Italian of
the name of Melaga, was going to Venice for the
express purpose of engaging a tenor singer to fill
my situation. We agreed to travel together, and I
felt happy in havng such a compagnon de voyage,

MICHAEL KELLY. 147

for he was merry and witty, a native of Bologna,
and the very man to drive away low spirits ! The
second week in Lent, half heart-broken, I took a
melancholy leave of my kind and dear friends, and
set off for Venice. We had hired a German post
waggon, which they call a chaiser, and a complete
bone-setter it was ! While undergoing its opera-
tions, nothing could have so ably aided its torments,
as the unconquerable phlegm of the postilion ;
whatever one suffers, — whatever one says, there he
sits, lord of your time ; you may complain, but it is
useless ; his horses and his pipe are his objects,
and his passengers are but lumber.

Besides this, the extortions on the road were
insufferable ; we were obliged to add an extra horse,
or perhaps more, at the high and mighty will of the
postmaster, to our bone-setter, and often to wait
two or three hours for those. The ostlers are the
greatest thieves in the world ! they make no scruple
of stealing any part of the luggage they can lay hold
of. Our expenses in horses and postilions, till we
got out of Germany, came to about one and sixpence
a mile, including extortion ! provisions were dear,
scarce, and bad ; we sometimes got good beer, and
now and then a bottle of excellent hoffner (Hungarian
wine). For my part, I lived chiefly on bread and
eggs, but my companion was not so easily satisfied.
Nature had gifted him with a voracious appetite.

118 • REMINISCENCES OF

and an insatiable taste for drinking. He was good
security for three bottles of wine a day ! and for
sleep he was unrivalled ! as Prior says,

" He ate, and drank, and slept, — what then ?
He slept, and drank, and ate again !"

but, when, thoroughly awake, and his appetites
satisfied, he was full of intelligence and anecdote,
good natured, and communicative ; and, heaven
save the mark ! — the ugliest fellow I ever beheld !
He had formerly been in the army, and after
running through a small patrimony, resided with
an aunt in Alsace, on the very spot where Voltaire,
when travelling, was taken seriously ill. In this
part of the world, Voltaire was equally unknown, as
a poet or a deist ; and the good people of Alsace,
in whose house he was, and who spoke hardly any
French, thought the best thing they could do for a
dying man, would be to procure for him the conso-
lations of religion. Every one is acquainted with
Voltaire's hatred for priests and monks, and may
conceive how he was disposed to religion by the
introduction of one of the clergy into his bed-room,
without his knowledge. The unconscious offender,
a simple, pious man, walked up to the bed with
zeal and solemnity, and, drawing the curtains aside,
said to Voltaire, in French, " Sir, can you speak
French ?" What the emphatic reply of the philo-

MICHAEL KELLY. 149

pher was, I must be excused from mentioning-;
suffice it to say, it was accompanied by an order to
his valet to kick the priest down stairs !

After going through the purgatory of German
roads and German postilions, we arrived in the
Venetian States, and remained a day at Palma
Nnova, to refresh ourselves, and view its celebrated
fortifications, considered to be amongst the strongest
in" Europe. My companion, as a military man,
was delighted while the serjeant who accompanied
us, gave a long and perhaps learned dissertation on
the art of engineering ; to me it was dreadfully
tiresome, for, like Mungo, in the Padlock, " What
signify me hear, when me no understand !"

My companion prevailed on me to accompany
him to Padua, where he had business to transact.
It was very little out of our way, and I had a
strong desire to see that learned city. When we
arrived, we went to an inn, called the Stella d1 Oro.
Padua was interesting to me, as the birth-place
of Tartini ; and the two greatest singers of their
time were living there retired, Pachierotti and
Guadag-ni. The latter was a Cavaliere. He had

built a house, or rather a palace, in which he had a
very neat theatre, and a company of puppets, which
represented L' Orpheo e Euridice ; himself singing
the part of Orpheo behind the scenes. It was
in this character, and in singing Grluck's beautiful

150 REMINISCENCES OF

rondo in it, " Che faro senza Euridice," that he
distinguished himself in every theatre in Europe,
and drew such immense houses in London.

His puppet-show was his hobby-horse, and as he
received no money, he had always crowded houses.
He had a good fortune, with which he was very
liberal, and was the handsomest man of his kind I
ever saw.

I never was in any place so over-run with mendi-
cants as at Padua ; they allow you no peace, but
torture you in the name of their patron saint, Saint
Anthony. We went to see his church, a very large,
old building : the inhabitants call it, II Santo (the
Saint), The interior is superb, crowded with fine
paintings and sculpture. There are four fine
organs, and a large choir, consisting of celebrated
professors, vocal and instrumental. I heard a mass
there, composed by II Padre Vallotti, and both the
composition and performance were delightful.
There seemed to be a great number of students,
native and foreign, in the university ; but altogether
I did not like the place, and at the end of three
days, I left it, with great pleasure, in the common
boat, filled with passengers of all sorts, for Venice.

We landed at the Piazza. My companion took
leave of me, and I returned to my worthy friend
and host, Zanotti, of the Regina d' Inghilterra.
Zanotti had formerly been in England, in the

MICHAEL KELLY. 151

service of II Cavaliere Pissani, Ambassador to
St. James's, and spoke English very well, which made
his house much frequented by the travelling Eng-
lish nobility. He had a handsome gondola, which he
allowed me to make use of; his gondolier was one
of the most lively and intelligent of those expert and
witty fellows : they are a privileged caste, and say
what they like to their masters and others, no
person taking offence at the jest or repartee of
a gondolier. In their style, they greatly resemble
the lower order of Irish, and are faithful in the
extreme, if you put trust in them. Gondoliers
were usually called " Momolo r it being the
diminutive of St. Girolomo, or St. Jerome, their
patron saint. By the way, it is strange, that those
gentry, who are, to a man, adorers of the fair sex,
should have chosen him, of all the saints in the
calendar, for their patron, who had declared, that
" a good woman was more rare than the phoenix."
On this saint's day they have a fete, and not a gon-
dolier will handle an oar if he can avoid it.

The functions in Passion Week were carried on
with great solemnity. The Doge went in proces-
sion to St. Mare's, where there were six orchestras
erected, and High Mass celebrated. There was
also a function at St. Giovanni di Paulo. I visited
both. The fair of the Ascension coming on, every
one was in preparation for it. It lasted fifteen

REMINISCENCES OF

days : all the theatres were open, and, at night ^
St. Marc's was brilliantly illuminated. On the Day
of the Ascension, the Doge went in grand procession
to marry the sea. My host took me to see this
truly singular arid magnificent sight. The Doge
left Venice in his beautiful Bucantore, which con-

* X

tained near three hundred persons. It was superbly
adorned, and carried twenty-one oars on each side.
There were several bands of music on board. On
reaching a certain point, the Doge threw a plain
gold ring into the sea ; saying, " We marry thee,
O Sea ! in sign of true and perpetual dominion.'" He
then returned to Venice in the same order ; the sea
covered with gondolas, barges, and boats, and the
spectators rending the air with acclamations.

" Mine host" related a ridiculous circumstance,
which took place at this curious marriage ceremony
some years before. The celebrated and witty Lord
Lyttelton, and several other English gentlemen,
went in a barge to see the ceremony. They had on
board with them a lacquais-de-place^ a talkative
fellow, making a plaguy noise, explaining every
thing that was going on. This unfortunate Cicerone
was standing up in the barge, and leaning over it, at
the moment the Doge dropped the ring into the sea ;
the loquacious lacquey bawled out with all his might
and strength, — " Now, my Lord, look, look, the
Doge has married the sea !"

MICHAEL KELLY. 153

" Has he," replied Lord Lyttelton ; " then go
you, you noisy dog, and pay the bride a visit ;" and,
giving him a push, into the sea went the poor prating
valet ; he was taken up immediately, without having
received any injury beyond a ducking, for which he
was well repaid.

Of all the foreign cities I had ever seen, Venice
appeared to be the best lighted ; to a stranger it
seems to be in a general illumination ; the shops are
kept open until twelve o'clock at night, and most of
them not shut at all ; the blaze of light which they

cj */

give is great, particularly those in the Piazza St. Marc
and the Freseria, where all the chief milliners and
haberdashers live; the taverns are also open the
greater part of the night, and supper is always ready*
" on the shortest notice."

It is quite common for ladies and gentlemen, after
they have spent their evening at the different casinos,
which many of the noble Venetians have in the
Piazza St. Marc, and in which they have concerts,
conversaziones, and plays, to form different parties,
and adjourn to the taverns to supper. I have often
been at these delightful parties : the ladies particu.
larly are fond of these banquets, where good humour,
mirth, and pleasantry abound : - but they make it a
rule, which they never in any instance deviate from,
to pay their share of the bill ; nor will they allow
their cicisbeos or relations to pay for them ; — nothing

154 REMINISCENCES OF

would offend a Venetian lady more than any man
of the party offering to pay for her upon one of their
sociable expeditions.

Shortly after my arrival in Venice, I delivered the
letter I had from my worthy friend, General Dalton,
and was received by the Countess Rosenberg with
great kindness ; she was a widow, and resided
entirely at Venice with an only daughter. The
Countess was a native of Wales ; her maiden name,
as I said before, was Wynne, and she was considered
by the Venetians a grand dilettante. I afterwards
waited upon his Excellency Priuli, Cornaro, and
the beautiful Benzoni, with my letters, and was
received by them with equal affability. The Aus-
trian Ambassador, Count Durazzo, who was an
intimate friend of General Daltons, said he should
be happy to see me at his conversazione, which he
held three times a week ; at his house, foreigners
of every nation then at Venice assembled, but no
Venetian. There is a strict law or custom, that a
Venetian senator or nobleman is not allowed to visit
a foreign ambassador ; not even are their servants
permitted to have intercourse with each other, under
a severe penalty. However, as I had the happiness
to be a British subject, I went en amusing myself
very well with the conversazioni, concerts, and sup-
pers, and going to one theatre or another every
night, having the freedom of them all: but 'the

MICHAEL KELLY. 155

theatre with which I was most pleased was that
of St. Angelo, where the inimitable actor, Sacchi,
the speaking Harlequin, and his company per-
formed.

There were at that time in Venice, solely for
comedies, four theatres — St, Angelo, St. Cassan,
St. Luke, and St. Giovan Chrisostomo; but at
whichever Sacchi performed, that one was always
the best attended. I saw him for the first
time perform in Goldcni's comedy, called " The
Thirty-two Misfortunes of Harlequin ; r he was
then considerably turned of seventy years of age,
but when he had his Harlequin's jacket and mask
on, the vivacity of his manner and activity would
have led one to suppose him not above fifty ;
he was esteemed a great wit, full of bon-mot and
repartee : he was allowed to have the power of
applying the thoughts and sayings of the best
ancient and modern writers extemporaneously,
even while assuming in manner and tone the sim-
plicity of an idiot : nothing seemed to come amiss
to him, and he was justly the delight of the
Venetians.

Amongst the theatrical pieces of the Venetians,
the comedies of Four Masques are the most en-
tertaining. These Four Masques are — Panta-
loon, who is always supposed to be a rich old
Venetian merchant; an old Dottore, supposed to

156 REMINISCENCES OF

be an old cunning Bologna lawyer ; Harlequin
and Brigella are two natives of Bergamosco, ser-
vants ; the Brigella ought to be clever, acute, and
witty, — a knavish intriguer; and the performer
of this part, who is not able to retort with quick-
ness and point upon every subject proposed, is not
fit to represent the character.

The Harlequin is to represent (in appearance)
a stupid, clownish fellow ; but under the mask
of stupidity, he should possess superlative sharp-
ness of repartee, to answer others without hesi-
tation, and put the most puzzling questions to
the Doctor, to Pantaloon, and Brigella. It is de-
lightful to hear good actors of those characters,
particularly when they chance to be in the hu-
mour to badger each other ; and as the dialogue
in some of those plays (Goldoni's and some of
Gozzi's excepted) is spoken mostly impromptu,
it is truly astonishing. Goldoni was a charming
writer ; Voltaire called him the Painter of Nature ;
his muse was wonderfully prolific ; he has writ-
ten, as I have been told, above one hundred plays,
and finished his dramatic career in Paris by writing,'
when he was upwards of seventy years of age, a
comedy in the French language.

Another popular and prolific author was the one
I have just mentioned, Conte Carlos Gozzi, a
Venetian nobleman. I saw one of his comedies.

MICHAEL KELLY. 157

which had been translated into German, performed
at Vienna ; it was a favourite stock piece there •
indeed, at one period, Gozzi was the rival of
Goldoni, and nearly beat him from the field ; he
took the theatre of St. Giovan Chrisostomo, and
brought forward pieces full of show and pagean-
try. I saw his Mostro Turchino (the Blue Mon-
ster,) Le Tre Corve, (the Three Crows), L' Uccello
Belvedere (the Beautiful Bird), &c. all pieces of
enchantment, performed ; there was, I thought, a
great deal of stage effect in them : but his chief
dependence at that period was upon gorgeous spec-
tacle. He appeared to go upon the old Spanish
proverb, that

The eye never grows wise ;

All have eyes,

And only few have understanding.

Be that as it may, the public flocked wherever his
.pieces were represented ; and, for a length of time,
Goldoni's regular dramas were neglected.

I had the satisfaction, many times and oft (not
on the Rialto, but in the very next street to it),
to dine in company with the veteran Sacchi, at
the house of his Excellency II Conte Pissani.
Nothing could be to me more delightful than the
innumerable stories and anecdotes with which this
old man's conversation abounded ; he was as

158 REMINISCENCES OF

sprightly as a boy, full of good humour and good
nature. I remember one day he told us a story,
that a short time previous, he was passing near
the church of St. Giovanni, with a nobleman of
very singular character, who was of very obscure
origin ; but his father having made an immense
fortune in the Levant trade, purchased an estate
and barony in Friuli for his son. The inordi-
nate pride of this novus homo, rendered him uni-
versally ridiculous ; but he was much flattered
with having the witty Sacchi in his train, who
laughed at him even while loading him with
adulation.

As they were walking along one day, some
priests, carrying the host to a dying person,
passed them ; every one in the street, as it is the
custom in all Roman Catholic countries, fell on their
knees, with their heads bare, bowing to the ground ;
amongst the rest, the proud baron knelt with
great devotion ; Sacchi, who was close to him,
only took his hat off, and slightly inclined his
head as the host went by, and did not go on his
knees. The baron, quite shocked at this apparent
want of religion and respect, exclaimed with
affected humility, " Signer Sacchi, I am petrified ;
to a poor miserable mortal like myself you pay
every obsequious homage ; yet when the holy host
passed you, instead of prostrating yourself before

MICHAEL KELLY. 159

it, you only made a slight inclination with your

head."

" Very true, my Lord," replied Sacclii ; " I
admit the fact, but the host must not be made
game of, and that makes all the difference."

O '

Sacchi was an enthusiast in favour of his art,
and its professors who had been celebrated be-
fore his time ; and was always particularly pleased
to recount any anecdotes which might redound
to the credit of the profession. He said that
the celebrated wit and harlequin, Dominic, was
sometimes admitted to the high honour of dining
at the table of Louis XIV. ; and that Tiberio
Fiorelli, who invented the character of Sca-
ramouch, had been the amusing companion
of the boyhood of the same great monarch,
and that from him Moliere himself had learnt
much.

One morning, while I was enjoying myself in
all the delights of a circle so gay and accomplished
as that in which I was luckily placed, I received a
visit from my friend and patron with the long tail.
He came to tell me that the manager of the theatre
at Brescia was in Venice, forming a company to
open his theatre with a comic opera for the
ensuing fair. The fair at Brescia is greatly fre-
quented from all parts of Italy, by all descriptions
of mercantile people ; that fair, and the fair of

160 REMINISCENCES OF

Senegaglia, in the Pope's dominions (where Ca~
talani was born,) are the greatest in Italy. My
patron proposed to introduce me to the mana-
ger, which I acceded to, and had an interview
with him, which terminated by his engaging me
as his tenor singer. He agreed to pay me eighty
Venetian golden ducats ; not much, to be sure ;
the time, however, to be employed was not quite
two months, and those too in the summer sea-
son. But the engagement had advantages besides
pecuniary ones ; I was delighted to find that
my prima donna was to be the beautiful Ortabella,
my first and great favourite. My patron,
Signer Bertini (the manager), and I, dined to-
gether, and settled the engagement over our
wine. My patron and the manager seemed to be
old cronies, and I had heard much of Bertini
myself, for he had gained a good deal of credit
by a trick which he played off upon a celebrated
singer whom he had engaged to perform at the
last fair, in a, grand serious opera; the Signor
demanded an enormous salary, which the nobility
of Brescia insisted upon it should be given to
him, and Bertini was obliged to submit. The
expensive Signor never performed any where with-
out receiving, beyond his great salary, all his tra-
velling expenses (let him come from whatever dis-
tance he would), and having, during his stay.

MICHAEL KELLY. 161

apartments for himself, and a table provided for
six persons ; and these conditions were always in-
cluded in the Signer's articles.

In pursuance of such an engagement, he arrived
at Brescia, and invited three friends to dine with
him ; they came : — he ordered his servants to let
the manager know that he was ready for dinner,
and desired it might be put down. The Signer's
servant returned, and said that there was no dinner
prepared ; the infuriated performer went down
stairs to the manager, and inquired why his dinner
had not been prepared in proper time ? — " Sir,"
replied the manager, " you gave no orders about
providing dinner."

" How, Sir," said the singer, "is it not set down
in my articles, that you are to provide a table for
six persons?"

" Undoubtedly, Sir, such is my agreement, and
I do not deny it ; if you will walk into the dinner-
room," (in the middle of which stood a new table,)
" you will see that I have fulfilled it to the letter ;
there, Sir, is your table, and a handsomer piece of
furniture for its purpose, I flatter myself you never
saw ; and you will find that it accommodates six
with the greatest convenience."

*< The table is extremely good," quoth the singer,
" but where is the dinner, Sir ?"

" Oh !" replied the manager, " as for the dinner,

162 REMINISCENCES OF

that I know nothing about; the words of the
engagement are, that I am to provide you a table
for six, persons ; I not only have provided one, but
I have gone beyond my bargain, for that will hold
eight; but not one syllable will you find in the
articles which binds me to find you either eatables
or drinkables ; and to my engagement I will stick."

" Then, Sir, I will not sing at your theatre,"
said the Signer.

" With all my heart, Signer,"" answered Bertini ;
" you are under a penalty of a thousand zecchinos
if you do not fulfil your agreement ; I shall be
ready to try in a court of law, whether I am bound
to provide food for you, when the words in the
articles distinctly are, a table for six persons, and
nothing more." The manager stuck to his point,
and the enraged musician was obliged to submit ;

o o

but was much more chagrined, it was said, at the
trick so successfully played upon him, than at the
loss of the dinner to which he thought himself
entitled.

As I was not to be at Brescia before the third
week in June, I determined to return to Padua to
spend a few days during the fair of St. Anthony ;
for at that period every one who can afford it,
resorts thither from Venice; so that during the
fair time, Padua, which I found so dull, is crowded
with noble Venetians, who vie with each other in

MICHAEL KELLY. 163

the splendour of their equipages. A Venetian
nobleman's establishment is very expensive, as he
must have his gondolas and gondoliers in Venice,
and when he goes to his country-house, of course a
land equipage.

I was exceedingly amused with what I saw in
Padua; and amongst the sights which possessed
the never-failing charm of novelty, were races on
the Corso by running footmen, whose speed, I
think, would astonish the English patrons of pedes-
trianism. I found, besides, the attraction of a
charming opera : and above all, I there first heard
the afterwards celebrated singer, Crescentini. I
was delighted. David, the popular tenor of his
day, I remember, performed the character of larba,
the Moorish king, in the opera of " La Didone
abbandonata ;" and the prima donna, although she
sang and acted extremely well, was, since the
truth must be told, extremely ugly. At the
general rehearsal of the opera, where there were
numbers of people assembled, David said, what
shewed his want of good nature and gallantry.
When larba is introduced to Dido, seated on
her throne to receive him, his confidant asks him,
" Qual ti sembra, O Signor ?" — " What do you
think of her?" larba answers, " Superba e bella."
— " Proud and beautiful." Instead of saying this,
David substituted the following agreeable excla-

164 REMINISCENCES OF

mation, " Superba e brutta !" — " Proud and ugly f
As Ma thews sa}7s, " it made a great laugh at the
time ;" but David was much blamed for his attempt
at wit, which was reckoned extremely gross, parti-
cularly as the lady's homeliness was not to be made
a joke of.

The theatre at Padua is handsome and com-
modious; it has two superb stone staircases, and
five rows of boxes. During the fair, there was a

grand room open for gambling, called La Sala
di Ridotto, where immense sums were won and
lost. I went two or three times to see the play,
but never attempted to play myself ; the bank is
generally held by the proprietors of the theatre,
who gain more profit by that, than they do by
either their operas or ballets.

After staying in these scenes of gaiety and dis-
sipation until their termination, I returned to my
old quarters at the hotel in Venice, where I found
a letter from my father, enclosing a letter of credit
on a Venetian banker, together with a letter from
Lord Granard to Mr. Strange, the English resi_
dent at Venice, which, however, was of no use to
me, since Mr. Strange had returned to London
about two months before its arrival.

I started in due time to Brescia, and put up at
the sign of " The Lobster," where Bertini came to
meet me, and. conducted me to a lodging which he

MICHAEL KELLY. 165

"had taken for me; it was a second floor of the
house, the first floor of which was occupied by La
Bella Ortabella herself. I was charmed to be under
the same roof with her, and it was, besides, very
convenient for me to practise the duets and con-
certed pieces. The day after she arrived we began
our rehearsals ; the first opera was " II Fittore
Parigino ;*" the music, by Cimarosa, was beautiful ;
— the Painter was the character allotted to me ; —
the opera pleased very much. The town of Brescia
was all alive, being fair-time, and the theatre was
crowded ; it was a very splendid building ; the
boxes, of which there were five tiers, were orna-
mented with glasses, like those of San Carlo, at
Naples, and the seats in the pit turned up in the
same way as in Padua. Independently of a very
good company of singers, there was an excellent,
and very expensive corps de ballet.

The proprietor, who was, in fact, our osten-
sible manager, was a most celebrated personage,
II Cavaliere Manuel, surnamed, " II Cavaliere
Prepotente ;" a man of inordinately bad character,
and implacable in his revenge, wherever he took
offence. — He was enormously rich, but never would
pay any evitable debt, which, in some degree,
accounted for his wealth ; indeed, it was at the
risk of life that any body pressed him for money ;
— he had in his pay a set of Sicari (assassins), who
wore his livery, and when commanded by him?

166 REMINISCENCES OF

would shoot any person in the streets at noon-day ;
— woe to the man marked for his vengeance. The
dress of these assassins, who were mostly moun-
taineers from his own estates, consisted of scarlet
breeches and waistcoats, and green jackets, — their
long hair was tied up in nets ; they wore enormous
whiskers, and large cocked hats with gold buttons
and loops ; in their belts were pistols, carbines at
their backs, and large rapiers by their sides ; and
yet those ruffians walked the streets at liberty, and
though known by all classes, none dare molest or
take notice of them. The Venetian Senate, whose
subjects they were, never could subdue them,
though they used every means in their power to
do so ; and such was the state of society at the
period of which I speak, that there was scarcely a
noble Brescian who had not a set of them in his
service, and rarely a week passed without an assas-
sination.

While I was there, one of these fellows walked
up to a coffee-house, tapped a gentleman on the
shoulder, and begged of him to stand aside; he
then levelled his carbine at a person who was
sitting on a bench at the coffee-house door, and
shot him dead on the spot ; yet no one had suffi-
cient courage to secure the murderer, who with
the greatest sang froid walked unmolested to the
church of the Jesuits, della Grazzie, where he was
in perfect security.

MICHAEL KELLY. 167

Unfortunately for me, this Cavalier Manuel made
proposals to the prima donna, La Ortabella, which
she had the courage to reject. He attributed her
coolness to a partiality which he suspected she
had for me ; and told her, that her refusal of the
honour he offered of his protection, was owing
to her preference of a vulgar singer, and swore
that my interference should be the worst act of my
life. She told me this, and felt alarmed for my
safety. A foolish frolic increased his hatred to-
wards me.

One day, looking at the frolic and fun going
forward in the Eiera, with three or four of the
opera singers, I saw a Neapolitan mountebank,
moun.ed on a stage, holding forth to the crowd,
telling their fortunes ; — " Egad !" said I to my
companions, " I have a mind to ask the mountebank
a question which concerns us all :" they entreated
me to do so. I accordingly made my way to the
rostrum, slipped half a silver ducat into the mounte-
bank"^ hand, and said to him, " Most potent astro-
loger, my companions and myself, convinced of your
great science, are anxious that you should resolve
the question I shall put to you.""

The mountebank pocketed the half ducat, and
with becoming gravity desired me to state the case.

" The question is," said I, " one which we, per-
formers of the theatre in Brescia, are most anxious

188 REMINISCENCES OF

to get answered : it is, whether the proprietor will
pay us our salaries when they become due ?"

The mountebank replied, " Not one sou, if he
can help it."

I left him, and told my companions the prognos-
tication, which they thought it extremely probable
would be verified : this trifling circumstance was, of
course, repeated by some of my good friends, to his
Excellency, who was weak enough to take it as an
offence, and told Bertini, that were it not to stop
the performance of the theatre, he would annihilate
me forthwith ; but that, at all events, a day of
retribution should come ere long.

My friend Bertini came and told me this, and
advised me to be upon my guard whenever I went
out. I went to wait upon Signer Conte Momelo
Lana, the gentleman to whom Signora Benetti
had given me a letter of recommendation, and told
him what had passed, and the danger I thought I
had to dread. He said he believed, from the well-
known implacable temper of my enemy, that I had
every thing to fear ; " but," said he, " Manuel
must know that you are under my protection ; and
I assure you, that if he assassinates you, I will
revenge you? I thanked the Count for his kind
intentions, but told him I would rather not trouble
him, and that I thought the best thing I could do,
was to beat a retreat.

MICHAEL KELLY. 169

The Count said, I must be cautious how I did
that, for if he got a scent of my intention, he would
order his Sicari to despatch me. " There is but one
thing you can do,11 said he, " to get out of his reach :
and I will give you every aid to accomplish it : —
the grand ballet of the siege of Troy, which is now
performing, lasts an hour and a half at least, and
is played after the first act of the opera ; immedi-
ately before the ballet commences, go to your room,
-change the coat and waistcoat in which you perform,
and put on your own; then Jock your door, put
your pelisse over you, watch your opportunity
while they are in the bustle of preparing the ballet,
slip out at the door at the back of the stage, and at
the bottom of the street you will find my travelling
carriage ready ; my servant Stephano shall accom-
pany you till he places you safe in Verona ; once
there, you are out of the reach of Manuel and his
assassins ; there he has no power to harm you. I
will give you a letter of recommendation to my
intimate friend and relation, the Count Bevi Acqua,
who has interest sufficient to render you every
service ; he is a worthy man, and a great patron of
the arts." He then offered to accommodate me
with the loan of money, which I refused, as I had
my father's remittance untouched, which was most
ample for all my present wants.

It was agreed that I should put his excellent

VOL. i. I

170 REMINISCENCES OF

project into execution the next night; he wrote
me the letter for the Marquis Bevi Acqua, and the
next evening I followed his directions implicitly, got
to the end of the street, found the faithful Stephano,
.and, as fast as the horses could carry us on an
excellent road, at full speed, escaped from Brescia
and its threatened perils. I was full of terror till we
got a few miles distant ; we found horses ready at
the first stage, and did not stop till we arrived at
Desenzano, on the Lago di Garda, where we were
beyond all dread of pursuit. I managed to send a
small bundle of clothes the evening before I quitted
Brescia to Stephano, which he put into his masters
carriage; my trunks I left behind me, and requested
my kind friend, Count Momolo Lana, to send them
immediately after me to Verona, gave him the
amount of what I had to pay for my lodgings, and
begged him to write me an account of the sensation
my escape made, and to give every publicity to the
reasons why I quitted the place : I also left with
him a letter to deliver to my kind and friendly
Signora Ortabella, expressing the great regret I felt
in quitting her, and hoping that we should soon
meet on safer ground than Brescia, where a man ran
the risk, if only commonly attentive to a woman, of
having half a dozen bullets put into his body.

I arrived safe at Verona, which I thought rather
fortunate, as the greatest part of the road from

MICHAEL KELLY. 171

Desenzano was infested by numerous banditti. I
scarcely travelled a quarter of a mile without seeing

a little wooden cross stuck by the road side, as a

mark that some one had been murdered on the spot.
I put up at the sign of the Due Tori, and the day
after my arrival hired a pair of horses, to take the
Count Lana's carriage and his faithful Stephano
back to Brescia. On the third day of my residence
in Verona, I received a letter from the Count,
together with my trunks : — he mentioned in his
letter, that on the night of my departure, when the
ballet was over, and the second act of the opera
just about to begin, the greatest confusion prevailed
amongst the performers ; they searched every where
for me, sent to my lodgings, where of course they
could obtain no information, but they had not the
slightest suspicion of my flight : an apology was
necessarily made from the stage to the public, stating
that I was not to be found; and, perforce, the
opera was acted, omitting the scenes in which I was
concerned.

Immediately afterwards, my friend the Count,
caused the letter I had written, (explaining the rea-
sons for my departure, and stating all that Count
Manuel had told Bertini, of his intention to anni-
hilate me), to be printe'd and widely circulated. In
•his letter to me, he mentioned, that he had a double
motive for thus effectually giving publicity to my

REMINISCENCES OF

case ; in the first place, he was anxious to exculpate
me with the public, for breaking my engagement ;
and in the second, his object was, to deter my
enemy from following up his revengeful threats,
for that if any serious mischance should befal me,
the world would, after such an exposition, naturally
conclude him to be the author of it, and that he
would consequently become responsible. He added,
that the public considered me perfectly justified jn
my conduct.

Count Manuel, when the affair became known,
publicly denied ever having had any intention to
injure me ; but those who knew him, weighing his
general character in the scale opposite to that in
which they placed the circumstances of the case,
fully and clearly detailed as they had been, believed
neither his assertions nor asseverations upon this
point. I was, however, thank God, out of his
reach before his virtue was put to the proof; the
circumstance was talked of all over Italy, but,
in justice to myself, I ought to say, that I never
heard of any blame attaching to me for my conduct.
In due season, after my arrival at Verona, I
waited upon the Marquis of Bevi Acqua to deliver
my letter of introduction. I found him at home
in his magnificent house ; he received me with
marked kindness, and did me the honour to intro-
duce me to his lady and three of her lovely daugh-

MICHAEL KELLY. 173

ters. The letter explained the particulars of my
story, and the Marquis invited me the next evening
to a concert at his house. Of course I accepted
the invitation. I found an elegant assemblage of
the first people of Verona. In the course of the
evening, I sang two songs, and accompanied myself
on the piano-forte, and the company seemed pleased
with me. The story of my escape from Brescia, and
its half-romantic cause, had created no small share
of interest for me; and when I waited on the
Marquis the next morning, I found that he and
the Marchioness had planned a public concert for
me under their patronage. I was introduced by
them to Signer Barbella, the first piano-fortist
and composer in Verona, who was directed by
the Marquis to engage the concert-room and per-
formers for me; all which he did with economy
and punctuality.

The Marquis told me he was an enthusiastic
admirer of Shakspeare, particularly of Romeo and
Juliet, and took me to see the tomb of Juliet.
Indeed, the people of Verona are very proud of
recounting the history of those ill-fated lovers, and
taking foreigners to see their resting place. I felt
great delight in visiting the spot. Juliet's tomb
was in the church of St. Permo Magiani ; its sides
were a good deal mutilated, as strangers who visit
it are in the habit of breaking off pieces to keep
as relics.

174 REMINISCENCES OF

Verona, though not very large, is a very hand-
some city ; the streets are wide, and generally
well built. Sacchi and his company of comedians
were performing at the amphitheatre, said to have
been erected by Vitruvius. The arena of Verona
is a stupendous fabric; forty-five rows of marble
steps surround it ; they will hold twenty thousand
people, commodiously seated: in the centre of
this place, in the summer, there are plays which
are acted by day-light; a temporary theatre is
erected, which is taken down every winter; there
are no boxes ; the enclosed space forms an immense
pit, with chairs, where the fashionable and better
sort of the audience are seated ; the second best
places are on the steps, twelve or fourteen deep,
railed off from the rest of the steps ; the seats are
all of naked marble, and the whole is in the open
air. This immense building, and the Coliseum at
Rome, are the two most stupendous fabrics I ever
beheld.

There was no city in Italy of its size, at the time
I visited it, which could boast of so many good
musical amateurs, vocal and instrumental, as Verona.
Signor Barbella promised to take me to a concert,
performed by one family only ; to my very great
surprise he took me to gaol, and introduced me to the
gaoler. We were shewn into an apartment elegantly
furnished, and after we had taken our coffee and
chasse, had really an excellent concert ; the per-

MICHAEL KELLY. 175

formers were, the gaoler, who played the double
bass ; his two eldest sons, first and second violin ;
a third the violoncello ; his youngest son, the viola;
one of his daughters presided at the harpsichord,
and his two youngest daughters executed some airs
and duets extremely well. They had good voices,
and sang like true artists : the whole of this gifted
family were amateurs ; the young men were in
different trades, but had they been obliged to live
by music, they could in my opinion have success-
fully adopted it as a profession in any part of Italy.
They were all enthusiasts and excellent performers,
and extremely courteous in their behaviour ; and I
returned to my hotel, after having supped with
them, much gratified by the pleasant evening I had
passed, though it was in prison.

The Sunday following this exhibition was ap-
pointed for my concert, and the room, owing to the
popularity and interest of the Marquis and Mar-
chioness, was crowded ; Signer Barbella conducted
the performance ; Signor Salinbeni was first violin ;
and, luckily, Signora Chiavaci, a very good singer,
was passing through Verona on her way to the
theatre at Bergamo at the time, and being an inti-
mate friend of Signor Barbella, at his request, she
agreed to stop a day and sing at my concert, which
she did gratuitously, and was much and deservedly
applauded*

176 REMINISCENCES OF

The nett receipts of this concert were 71 zee-
chinos (about 30/. British ) ; in addition to which,
the Marquis made me a special present for his own-
ticket. I was now high in spirits, and not low in
cash ; and, as good fortune never comes alone, on
the morning after my concert, I received a letter,
forwarded from Brescia to me, from Signer Giani,
the manager of Treviso, offering me an engagement
for six weeks, at 50 zecchinos, which I accepted,
and promised to be in Treviso in three days after
the date of my answer.

I waited upon my worthy friends, the Marquis
and Marchioness of Bevi Acqua, to take my leave
of them, and parted from them with grateful regret;
they were all affability and condescension : indeed,
I liked every thing about them, except their name,
to which, Bevi Acqua, (in English, Drrnkwaler^}
at no period of my life could I bring myself to be
partial, although there are several very estimable
persons so called in England at this present moment.
The Marquis gave me a letter to Signora Marcello,
a Venetian lady of consideration, who resided at
Treviso, whose husband was a noble Venetian, and
a descendant of the celebrated composer of sacred
music, Benedetto Marcello. Before I set off, I
went and took leave of the musical gaoler, and his
harmonious family ; and having made all due
preparation for my departure, hired a valet, and

MICHAEL KELLY. 177

started for Vicenza, where I supped and slept. In
the morning, I walked about the city, which I
found extremely neat and pretty, and the country
about it very beautiful. After breakfast, I set off
for Treviso, and was delighted by the appearance
of the elegant villas which surround it, belonging
to noble Venetians, who, during the theatrical season,
pass their vendemmias there, and have what they
call their cuganas (i. e. revelries).

Treviso itself, during this period, is crowded
with people of less exalted rank from Venice,
which is within a few miles; and, as the canals
at Venice are at certain periods very offensive, every
one who can, quits it for Padua or Treviso.

I found engaged, as prima donna at Treviso,
the celebrated Clementina Bagliona (to whom I had
been introduced at Pisa by Signor Viganoni) ; and
for the first buffo, her sister's husband, Signor
Pozzi, who, when at Rome, met with the kind
treatment from his patron and friend, the Roman
Abbe, which I have already endeavoured to de-
scribe.

The theatre was crowded every night, and the
opera, as well as the ballets, gave great satisfaction.
I waited upon her Excellency La Signora Marcello,
and delivered my letter of introduction given me
by the Marquis Bevi Acqua. She gave me an
invitation to her morning concerts, where I met-

i 5

378 REMINISCENCES OF

all the beau monde of Treviso, and passed many
delightful hours. In that very house, many years
afterwards, lived my lamented friend the late Mrs.
Billington, who has described to me the period of
her residence in it, as the most miserable of her
existence.

At one of Madame MarcehVs concerts, I had
the pleasure of hearing the greatest reputed dilet-
tante singer in Europe, La Signora Teresa de Petris.
Nor was her reputation higher than her merits ; she
had one of the finest voices I ever heard, combined
with great science and expression : in addition to
this, she was very beautiful, and had about her
all the Venetian fascination. She married a noble
Venetian, II Signor Veniera, but, for some reason,
was separated from him. Her cavaliere servente
was Count Vidiman, a handsome and rich young
nobleman, who resided at Venice, and who was
devoted to music and to her. He was also a great
protector of the composer Anfossi, and so attached
to his music, that he would scarcely listen to any
other. He had fixed a performance to take place
at Venice the beginning of Lent ; an oratorio com-
posed expressly for her Excellency La Signora de
Petris, by Anfossi, was to be performed at Count
Pepoli's private theatre. The Count called upon
me one morning, and said, " La Signora de Petris
wishes that you should perform in the oratorio

MICHAEL KELLY. 179

with her. If you -think it worth your consideration,
I offer you an engagement for four months."

I was elated at the proposition, and accepted his
offer. I was to be at his command for four months,
to remain during that period at Venice, and to
accept of no public engagement whatever. I could
not have met with any thing so pleasing, as my
delight was Venice, and its amusements were con-
genial to my taste and time of life.

We were now within a few nights of closing the
theatre at Treviso, and Count Vidiman and Signora
de Petris were going to Udina, the capital of Friuli,
where he had large estates ; and afterwards to spend
a month or six weeks with his mother, the old
Countess, with whom La Signora de Petris was a
great favourite. The Count having heard me ex-
press a wish to visit Parma, said, he thought that
the time he should be absent at Udina would be the
most convenient whereat to satisfy my curiosity;
and besides, I then might have a chance of uniting
profit with pleasure, as the Arch-duchess, who was
a lover of music, and a fine performer herself, gave
great encouragement to musical artists who visited
her court, and her private band was esteemed the
choicest and best in Italy. The Count procured me
a letter of recommendation to Her Royal Highness
from II Signor Cavaliere Giustiniani, who had been
at the court of Parma, Ambassador from the Vene-

180 REMINISCENCES OF

tian State, and while there, was in the highest
favour.

I set off post for the city of Modena, on my way
to Parma ; and on my arrival there, at the door of
the post-house, recognised Fochetti, the bass singer,
who had performed with me when I was so much
younger in Dublin. I made myself known to him,
and it was an agreeable surprise to us both to meet
where we so little expected it. I passed a pleasant
evening with him at the inn, talking of old times,
and Ireland ; he told me he had retired from the
stage, with a sufficient fortune to enable him to re-
main in his native city of Modena, where he held the
situation of first bass singer at the reigning Duke's
Royal Chapel.

At an early hour the next morning, he called upon
me to shew me what was worth seeing. Modena
stands twenty miles west of Bologna, and twenty-
eight east of Parma. It is curious enough, although
perhaps generally known, that carrier pigeons are
constantly used here for the conveyance of letters.
It is said that this custom had its origin in Hirtius
the consul, who adopted the use of them while Decius
Brutus was besieged by Marc Antony.

Fochetti took me to see the Ducal Palace. I
thought it very superb. In it are a number of very
fine paintings, particularly a nativity by Correggio.
The inhabitants of Modena are not a little vain in

MICHAEL KELLY. 181

having to boast that the divine poet Tasso was a
native of their city. Of the churches, those of St.
Domingo and the Jesuits are the worthiest, of notice ;
we went also to view the College of St. Carlo Bremeo,
in which upwards of one hundred noblemen are
educated. Most of the houses in the city have
porticoes, and covered walks; their chief trade, I
understood, consisted in masks, which they are fa-
mous for making, and export in great numbers.

But to proceed : — After seeing the sights, I took
an affectionate leave of my old friend ; I confess
that the parting made me quite melancholy, and
brought to my mind the happy days I had passed
with him at my father's house, where he was a con-
stant and welcome guest. However, I dissipated
my care by travelling, and about six in the evening
got sight of the city, so famous for its truffles and
its cheese (of which, by the way, not one morsel is
made in Parma, for what are called Parmesan
cheeses are made at Piacenza and Lodi) ; and was
set down at the Osteria di Gallo, where I took up
my residence.

In the morning, I was informed that Her Royal
Highness the Arch-duchess was at her villa at
Colorno, a few miles from town. I therefore hired
a carriage, and proceeded thither ; I was struck with
the magnificence of the palace, and the beauty of
the grounds, as I approached the end of my journey ;

182 REMINISCENCES OF

which having achieved, I announced myself to Her
Royal Highnesses Chamberlain, and informed him
that I came to Colorno to present Her Royal High-
ness with some letters from Treviso ; the Chamber-
lain conducted me immediately to Her Royal High-
ness^s presence. I found her in her billiard-room,
playing with some of her suite, (amongst whom were
the favourite musicians belonging to her band,) and
without appearing to possess the smallest pride,
putting every person completely at his ease by her
fascinating condescension. She seemed in perfect
good humour with her game, at which she appeared
a great proficient.

After it was concluded, she came up to me, in-
quired most kindly after II Cavaliere Giustiniani,
conversed with me for some time about Naples par-
ticularly, and asked me if I had ever seen her sister,
the Queen of Naples. I replied that I had had the
honour of singing before Her Majesty at Posilipo.
"Had you?" said Her Royal Highness; "then
you shall also sing before her sister at Colorno.
Remain here a few days, if you have time to spare,
and we will have a little music." She then left
the billiard-room, and desired Count Palavacini,
her Chamberlain, to introduce me to the gentlemen
of her private band ; they were all great favourites
with her. I dined with them, and they were par-
ticularly attentive to me, and had an excellent table

MICHAEL KELLY. 183

kept for them, covered with the best viands and
choicest wines. I paid my respects to the Burgundy,
which, to be sure, was delicious.

In the evening there was a concert, which Her
Royal Highness, attended by several Ladies of the
Court, honoured with her presence. She was per-
fectly affable to all the professors in the orchestra,
and presided herself at the piano-forte ; the whole
band was worthy of its reputation. If there were
any superiority amongst them, in my opinion, it was
in the French horns, played by two brothers (whose
names I have forgotten) ; such tones I never heard
from the instrument as those which they produced,
in a duet they played.

I sang Sard's rondo of " Teco resti, anima mia,"
and accompanied myself on the piano-forte. Her
Royal Highness did me the honour to approve, and
asked me who was my instructor ; when I mentioned
Aprile, she said that I certainly had had the ad-
vantage of the best of singing-masters.

At ten o'clock the concert finished, and I retired
to supper with the rest of the professors ; and in the
morning, two gentlemen of the band took me in a
court carriage to see some of the beauties of the
neighbourhood. At twelve o'clock we attended Her
Royal Highness at the billiard table, where she
appeared in a morning dress, with a large apron
before her, with pockets, in which she kept a quan-

184 REMINISCENCES OF

tity of silver coin; she always played for some
trifling stake, and was very anxious to be the winner.
She asked me if I was fond of billiards, and if I
played; I said I had always been partial to it.
" Come," said she, " you shall try a game with
me :"" I had the honour of doing so, but Her Royal
Highness beat me hollow.

She possessed a very fine person, very tall, and
rather large ; her features were masculine, but still
there was a likeness between her and her sisters, the
Queens of France and Naples. But 1 was told by
Count Palavacini, that she was much more like her
mother, the Empress Maria Theresa, than either of
them. The Arch-duke of Parma, her husband,
and herself, were upon good terms, but seldom
together ; either of them had pursuits diametrically
opposite to the other's taste : she, a clever acute
woman, was fond of pleasure ; — on the contrary, he
was esteemed very weak, a great bigot, and half a
madman ; his chief amusement and delight was, at
different periods of the year, accompanied by some
of the favourite noblemen of his court, to go every
step of the way on foot, to the different cities and
towns of his dukedom; to visit the different
churches, and hang up tapestry ; and this too, let
the distance be what it would from his capital. He
was said never to be happy but in a church, mounted
on a ladder, with a hammer in his hand. This

MICHAEL KELLY. 185

mania was spoken of in all parts of Italy, insomuch,
that he was nick-named the Royal Upholsterer ; but,
with the exception of this strange propensity, he was
thought harmless and good-natured.

I stopped a week at Colorno, where there was
music every night, and had great pleasure in hear-
ing the Arch-duchess's performance. On rny taking
leave of Her Royal Highness, she gave me a rouleau
of fifty zecchinos, and a beautiful little enamelled
watch, set round with small diamonds, and a gold
chain ; on my kissing her hand for her liberality
and condescending kindness, she was pleased to
compliment me, and wished me every success. I
took my dutiful leave of her, and bade adieu to the
gentlemen of the orchestra, whose kindness and
attention were so marked during my delightful stay
at Colorno.

I returned to Parma, and the Grand Theatre
not being open for representations, I got permission
the next morning to see it. I was much pleased
at having an opportunity of viewing so fine an
edifice, it being much larger than the theatre of
St. Carlo at Naples ; or, indeed, than any other in
Europe. There was a small theatre open at the
time, where plays were representing. I went one
evening to see Goldoni's Comedy of " II Padre di
Famiglia." The celebrated Petronio's acting of the
Father, was a fine performance. The house was

186 IIEMIXISCEKCES OF

crowded, and some very beautiful women graced
the boxes. The next day, at the cathedral (one
of the finest in Europe), I heard a mass of Jomelli's
chaunted; the singers and band were numerous
and excellent. I remained two days longer there,
seeing what was worth viewing, and then, without
delay on the road, posted to Bologna, and took up
my abode at my old friend Passerines, who was as
kind as ever to me.

While at Bologna, Signor Tambourini, the great
theatrical broker, offered me two engagements for
the autumn and carnival ; one for Barcelona in
Spain, and the other for Warsaw ; both of which I
was obliged to decline on account of my engage-
ment at Venice, to which place I shortly proceeded;
and, in a few days, the Count Vidiman, and La
Signora de Petris, returned thither from Udina. It
was then the month of October, all the theatres
open, and the Piazza St. Marc in all its revelry,
crowded with masks, &c. &c. I paid my respects
to the Count and the Lady ; the Count desired I
should quit my Hotel, and, for the term of my stay
at Venice, reside at the house of La Signora de
Petris, where he said it would be more comfortable
and economical for me. I had an excellent apart-
ment there ; she kept a table which would have
gratified Apicius himself. Count Vidiman had an
elegant Casino in the Piazza St. Marc, where, every

MICHAEL KELLY. 187

night, he saw a number of friends ; after they came
from the theatres, there was always a little music,
at which the Lady presided; and afterwards a
supper. La Signora de Petris had boxes at all
the theatres, whither I used to accompany her
whenever she went to them.

At the Theatre of St. Marc, I used to sit at the
piano-forte as an amateur, and accompany the comic
operas ; — it was amusement, as well as improvement,
to me. At the Theatre of St. Samuel there was a
powerful comic opera ; — at the head of it was my
old friend Madame Storace ; her success was great
indeed. Signor Vicenzo Martini, the celebrated
Spanish composer, composed the opera ; his was a
soul of melody, and melody is the rarest gift a com-
poser can possess, and one which few attain to. I
may with safety aver, from my own knowledge, that
I have met with ninety-nine good theorists to one
melodist ; nature makes the one, study the other.
Two of the greatest theorists I ever met with were,
Friar Padre Martini of Bologna, and Sala, the
master of the Conservatorio della Pieta, Naples;
yet neither of these ever produced a remarkable
melody that I recollect ; I mean, not such a One as
our justly celebrated composer, Dr. Arne, used to
say, " would grind about the streets upon the
organ."

I cannot omit here quoting what the immortal

188 REMINISCENCES OF

Haydn has mentioned on the subject of melody ;
he said, — " It is the air which is the charm of
music, arid it is that, which is most difficult to pro-
duce;— patience and study are sufficient for the
composition of agreeable sounds, but the invention
of a fine melody is the work of genius ; the truth is,
a fine air needs neither ornament nor accessories, in
order to please, — would you know whether it really
be fine, sing it without accompaniments.''1

Storace drew overflowing houses, she was quite
the rage ; — she announced a benefit, the first ever
given to any performer at Venice ; but, being an
Englishwoman, it was granted to her. The house
overflowed ; her mother stood at the door to receive
the cash ; the kind-hearted and liberal Venetians
not only paid the usual entrance money, but left
all kinds of trinkets, watch chains, rings, &c., to
be given to her ; it was a most profitable receipt
for her, and highly complimentary to her talents ;
but, notwithstanding those honours were heaped
upon her, a circumstance occurred, which gave her
the most poignant annoyance, as well as her mother
and her friends.

I have already stated that Stephen Storace was
her brother, and that she had no other brother, or
a sister ; yet, an unprincipled woman came to
Venice, and gave out that she was the sister of
Signora Storace, took up her abode in a street called

MICHAEL KELLY. 189

La Calla di Carbone, (a quarter of the town where
ladies of her description were obliged to reside,)
where she had her portrait hung out of her window,
and under it written, — Questo e il ritratto della
sorella della Signora Storace — ( i. e. this is the
portrait of Signora Storace's sister). It is almost
incredible that people should be so duped ; but it
is an absolute fact, that the woman's apartments
were daily crowded by all ranks, to see the supposed
sister of their favourite songstress ; and the impostor
gained a large sum of money by the price paid for
admission to see her. The game was carried on
for some time, but on some of Storace's friends
making application to the police, the imposture was
detected, and its contriver imprisoned, and sub-
sequently banished the Venetian Republic.

It had been an ancient custom in Venice for per-
sonages of this lady's vocation to have their portraits
painted, and hung out of the windows of their
apartments, to attract notice and visitors. In Mrs.
Behn's Comedy of " The Rovers," which was re-
vived and altered by Mr. Kemble, and successfully
produced at Drury Lane under the title of " Love
in many Masks," is a character drawn of one of
those women, whose portrait is seen hanging out of
a balcony on the stage.

I was one morning sitting in the Rialto coffee-
house with my long-tailed patron, and stating that

190 REMINISCENCES OF

Storace never had a sister, and wondering that the

people of Venice could be so imposed upon, when
an Abbe, who was sitting close to us, said, — " Your
observation may be very true, Sir, that the people
of Venice, in the instance of which you speak, have
proved themselves credulous, but, surely not more
so than your own countrymen ; — when I was in
London, I was told that they had been taken in
by a mountebank, who advertised that he would,
at one of their theatres, creep into a quart bottle.
The house was crowded to witness this incredible
exhibition, but the cunning mountebank, after
pocketing the money received at the doors, made
off with it, and was on his way to Dover before
the humbug was found out. — Now, Sir, I beg to
ask you, which of the two nations, English or
Venetian, proved itself the greatest dupe?" The
question was a puzzler, and I was glad not to pro-
ceed further with the subject, remembering, a little
too late, the saying, that those who live in glass
houses should not throw stones.

I continued, until the end of the Carnival, pass-
ing my time with very little variation, living in the
lap of luxury, and in a vortex of pleasure. We
besan the rehearsal of Anfossi's oratorio, and the

first week in Lent the performance commenced.
I had a song which had been composed purposely
for me, and sent from London by Anfossi to Count

MICHAEL KELLY. 191

Vidiman. Nothing could exceed the brilliancy
of Signora de Petris' execution and feeling ; she
sang divinely, and we repeated the oratorio eight
nights to the fashionables invited by the Count
and the Signora. There was a particular friend
of hers, Sigiior Gioacino Bianchi, then an amateur,
a man of very good family, and a sweet singer;
but, owing to some circumstances of a tender

7 O

nature, he quitted Venice, and went to England,
where he became a singing-master of eminence,
esteemed by all his friends for urbanity and talent,
and highly patronised by the Earl and Countess of
Har court.
-One morning I received a message from His

O ) ~

Excellency the Austrian Ambassador, desiring

me to go to him in the evening. I waited on

•His Excellency, who informed me that he had

received a letter from Prince Rosenberg, Grand

Chamberlain of His Majesty Joseph the Second,

Emperor of Germany, directing him to engage a

company of Italian 'singers for a comic opera,

to be given at the Court of Vienna; that no

•expense was to be spared, so that the artists

.were of the first order; that no secondary talent

would be received amongst them, and that

characters were to be filled by those engaged,

.without distinction, according to their abilities;

.and the will of the director, appointed by the

Emperor.

REMINISCENCES OF

The Italian opera had for a length of time
been discontinued at Vienna, and a first-rate
French company of comedians substituted. The
Emperor and his Court were at Schoenbrunn,
and the French company were performing there;
apartments in the palace had been appointed
for them, and a plentiful table allotted to their
exclusive use. One day, while they were drinking
their wine, and abusing it, the Emperor passed
by the salle a manger, which opened into the
Royal Gardens. One of the gentlemen, with the
innate modesty so peculiarly belonging to his
nation and profession, jumped up from table
with a glass of wine in his hand, followed His
Majesty, and said, — " Sire, I have brought your
Majesty some of the trash which is given us by
your purveyor, by way of wine ; we are all dis-
gusted at his treatment, and beg to request your
Majesty to order something better, for it is abso-
lutely impossible for us to drink it ; — he says it is
Burgundy — do taste it, Sire, I am sure you will
not say it is."

The King, with great composure, tasted the
wine: "I think it excellent,' said His Majesty,
* at least, quite good enough for me, though, per-
haps, not sufficiently high- flavoured for you and
your companions ; in France, I dare say, you will
<*et much better/'1 He then turned on his heel,

and sending immediately for the Grand Chamber-

MICHAEL KELLY. 193

Jain, ordered the whole corps dramatique to be.
discharged, and expelled Vienna forthwith. They
repented their folly, but His Majesty would never
hear more of them, and their audacity caused the
introduction of an Italian opera at Vienna.

Count Durazzo read the letter containing this
anecdote to a numerous party assembled at his
house, who were much amused at it. His Excel-
lency then asked me if I should like to go to
Vienna ; if I did, he would enlist me into the ser-
vice. I thanked his Excellency, and answered

J *

that I should not desire better. The Countess
Rosenberg kindly promised, that if I went there,
she would give me some letters which might be of
great service to me; and his Excellency desired

»/

me to consider of it for u day or two, and then
return and bring my proposals to him. The term
of my engagement with Count Vidiman having just
expired, I mentioned to him the offer which had
been made me, which he considered highly advan-
tageous. Decided by this disinterested advice,
I waited upon his Excellency the Ambassador,
and concluded an engagement for one year, my
salary being at the rate of 4?OQ Venetian golden
ducats (200/.) ; to be lodged free of expense, fuel
bund me, and four large wax candles per cliem,
-Inch was the customary allowance. I signed the
greement with his Excellency, and was highly

VOL. I. K

194 REMINISCENCES OF

contented with it, and thought myself most lucky
in having made it. Madame Storace was also
engaged, and the two best comic singers in Europe,
Bennuci and Mandini.

When the time for my departure arrived, the
Countess of Rosenberg gave me, as she had
promised, a letter to her noble relative, the Grand
Chamberlain ; one to Prince Charles of Lichten-
stein, Governor of Vienna, and one to Sir Robert
Keith, His Britannic Majesty's Minister at Vienna.
From Count Durazzo I had one for Grand Marshal
Lacy, one for Marshal Laudon, and a third for
the illustrious and witty Prince de Ligne ; more
powerful recommendations no young man perhaps
could boast ; and, as in my road to Vienna I had
to pass through the city of Udina, my kind friend
Count Vidiman gave me also a letter of intro-
duction to the Countess his mother, as well as one
to the Venetian Count Manini, both of whom
resided at Udina.

Thus prepared, I set off from Venice in a
calessetto, accompanied by my servant, for Udina ;
and it was with a heavy heart I quitted dear Italy,
in which I had been so warmly patronised, and
found such kindness and hospitality. I proceeded,
however, on my journey, and alighted at a very
comfortable inn, on the sign of which was written,
in capital letters, " No trust to-day, but to-mor-

MICHAEL KELLY.

TOW."" I was a good deal amused at the flying
promise, never to be fulfilled.

Udina is twenty-two leagues from Venice ; the
town is very neat and pretty, the suburbs particu-
larly so ; the language of the inhabitants is a Patois,
a mixture of Italian, French, and German ; the Ve-
netians ridicule them for a singular mode they have
of calling night, evening, and evening*, night. When
the Venetians speak of them, they say, " Gente
cui si fa notte inanzi sera."" — (i. e. People to whom
night appears before evening.) I lost no time in
delivering my credentials to the Countess Vidiman,
and afterwards went to present my letter to Count
Manini, who was residing at a magnificent country
seat of his, called Pascan ; — he made me quit my
inn, and stay with him for a couple of days. He
entertained me splendidly and hospitably, and, on
my departure, ordered some delicious wine, made
on his own estate, called Picolet, (the taste of
which resembled Tokay, but less sweet,) to be put
into my calessetto.

After a tedious journey, I arrived at Vienna,
and put up at the sign of the White Ox ; and, on
the following morning, waited upon Signer SalierL,
to deliver my letter of recommendation from
Signor Bertoni. Salieri was a Venetian, and a
scholar of the celebrated composer Guzman ;
Salieri, himself, indeed, was a composer of emi-

196

REMINISCENCES OF

nence. — He was Maestro di Cappelia at the
Court of Vienna, and a great favourite with the
Emperor. He presided at the harpsichord at the
theatre, and was sub-director under Prince Rosen-
berg, Grand Chamberlain of the Court. He was
a little man, with an expressive countenance, and
his eyes were full of genius. I have often heard
Storace's mother say, he was extremely like Gar-
rick. He received me politely, and informed me
that his opera of " La Scuola dei Gelosi," was the
first to be performed, in which I was to make my
debut. He accompanied me to the apartments
which had been taken for me, and which consisted
of an excellent first and second floor, elegantly
furnished, in the most delightful part of Vienna.
I was found, as usual, in fuel and wax candles,
and a carriage to take me to rehearsals, and to
and from the theatre, whenever I performed.

After having been duly installed in my new
residence. I delivered all my recommendatory let-
ters, and was delighted with the reception I met
v ith, from those to whom they were addressed ;
particularly from Marshals Laudon and Lacy, and
Sir Robert Keith, — the affability of the last was
highly flattering to my feelings. I was altogether
delighted, and thought Vienna a delightful city,
rnd a charming place of residence. In a fortnight
after my arrival the theatre opened. Storace and

MICHAEL KELLY. 197

Bennuci's receptions were perfectly enthusiastic, and
I may perhaps be permitted to say, that I had no
reason to complain of my own.

The Emperor, Joseph II. accompanied by his
brother Maximilian, the Archbishop of Cologne,
were present at the performance, and evinced their
approbation by the applause they bestowed. At
the period I speak of, the Court of Vienna was,
perhaps, the most brilliant in Europe. The thea-
tre, which forms part of the Royal Palace, was
crowded with a blaze of beauty and fashion. All
ranks of society were doatingly fond of music, and
most of them perfectly understood the science.
Indeed, Vienna then was a place where pleasure
was the order of the day and night.

The women, generally speaking, are beautiful ;
they have fine complexions, and symmetrical figures,
the lower orders particularly. All the servant-
maids are anxious to shew their feet, (which are
universally handsome,) and are very ambitious
of having neat shoes and stockings. Vienna, in
itself, then contained between 80,000 and 90,000
inhabitants, and is surrounded by fortifications,
which served for pleasant walks ; — the ramparts
are picturesquely beautiful. There are two Fau-
bourgs at Vienna, which contain 170,000 inhabi-
tants of all descriptions. That superb river, the
Danube, borders the central town, and separates on

198 REMINISCENCES OF

one side the Faubourg of Leopoldstadt, from the'
Prater, reckoned the finest promenade in Europe,
There are many splendid palaces in the Fau-
bourgs. Among the most conspicuous, are those
©f Prince Schwartzenberg, and Prince Adam
Ausberg, &c. I had the honour of being pa-
tronised by Prince Ausberg. His Highness
employed a great number of workmen at his
own expense in a manufactory for steel, and all
kinds of hardware, which he had established. I
have seen some things from his fabrique, which
would not lose by comparison with the excellent
workmanship of Mr. Bolton's manufactories at
Birmingham. His Highness also was a great
patron of musical performances. » He had a beau-
tiful theatre in his palace, at which I saw the Coun-
tess Hatzfield perform inimitably well, in Gluck's
serious opera of " Alceste." — She was a charming
woman, and full of talent.

The Prater, as I said before, I consider the
finest public promenade in Europe, far surpassing
in variety our own beautiful Hyde Park. It is
about four miles in length ; on each side of the
road are fine chesnut trees, and a number of ave-
nues and retired drives. These roads, on spring
and summer evenings, are thronged with carriages.
On all sides, as in our Hyde Park and Bushy
Park, deer are seen quietly grazing, and gazing at

MICHAEL KELLY. 199

the passing crowds. At the end of the principal
avenue is an excellent tavern, besides which, in
many other parts of this enchanting spot, there
are innumerable cabarets, frequented by people of
all ranks in the evening, who immediately after
dinner proceed thither to regale themselves with
their favourite dish, fried chickens, cold ham,
and sausages ; white beer, and Hoffner wines, by
way of dessert ; and stay there until a late hour :
dancing, music, and every description of mer-
riment prevail ; and every evening, when not pro-
fessionally engaged, I was sure to be in the midst
of it.

The Danube runs through part of this charming
retreat. One evening Salieri proposed to me to
accompany him to the Prater. At this time he
was composing his opera of Tarrare, for the grand
Opera House at Paris. At the back of the
cabaret where we had been taking refreshments,
near the banks of the Danube, we seated ourselves
by the river side ; he took from his pocket a sketch
of that subsequently popular air which he had that
morning composed, Ah ! povero Calpigi. While ,
he was singing it to me with great earnestness
and gesticulation, I cast my eyes towards the river,
and spied a large wild boar crossing it, near the
place where we were seated. I took to my heels,
and the composer followed me, leaving " Povero

200 REMINISCENCES OF

Calp'igi? and (what was worse) a flagon of excel-
lent Rhenish wine behind us, which was to me a
greater bore than the bristly animal whose visit
seemed intended for us. The story was food for
much laughter, when we were out of danger.
Salieri, indeed, would make a joke of any thing,
for he was a very pleasant man, and much
esteemed at Vienna ; and I considered myself in
high luck to be noticed by him.

Shortly after I had presented my letter to him,
Marshal Lacy did me the honour to invite me to
dine with him ; and amongst other great men who
were his guests, I had the honour to meet Marshal
Laudon. I looked upon it as a great event in
a young man's life, to be seated at the same table
with these two heroes ; rivals in the art of war,
though attached friends. Marshal Lacy was a
fine looking man ; free, convivial, and communi-
cative ; he was about seventy years of age, of Irish
extraction, but himself a Russian born. He
had amassed a splendid fortune, and lived in a
princely style, and was in high favour with the
Emperor.

Marshal Laudon was a very different kind of
personage ; he appeared to be the soldier only, and
spoke very little ; he seemed about the same age
as Marshal Lacy, but they were very different.
Marshal Laudon was of Scotch extraction, but a

MICHAEL KELLY. 201

Livonian by birth. Such were his military talents,
that he rose from the ranks in the Imperial Guard
to the highest military command in the service ;
and was, as all the world knows, a rival of the
great Frederick; yet although they had often
contended with varied success, either admitted
the splendid talents of the other. As a proof
of this, an anecdote was told me, by die cele-
brated and witty Prince de Ligne, who indeed
said he could vouch for its truth from personal
knowledge.

In an interval of peace between Austria and
Prussia, Frederick the Great was at Silesia, at
the same time with the Prince de Ligne, Marshal
Brown, Marshal Laudon, and many Austrian
officers. The king gave them a grand dinner,
to which several Prussian officers were invited.
Marshal Laudon was placed at table vis-a-vis
to Frederick. The king rose, and said, " Mar-
shal Laudon, I request you will quit your seat ;
come hither and sit by me, for believe me (and
with sincerity I speak it) I always prefer having
you at my side to having you opposed to me.""
The Prince de Ligne said, that Laudon was highly
gratified by this elegant compliment from so great
a warrior.

The people of Vienna were in my time dancing
mad ; as the Carnival approached, gaiety began

202 REMINISCENCES OF

to display itself on all sides ; and when it really
came, nothing could exceed its brilliancy. The
ridotto rooms, where the masquerades took place,
were in the palace ; and spacious and commo-
dious as they were, they were actually crammed
with masqueraders. I never saw, or indeed heard
of any suite of rooms, where elegance and con-
venience were more considered ; for the propen-
sity of the Vienna ladies for dancing and going
to carnival masquerades wTas so determined, that
nothing was permitted to interfere with their
enjoyment of their favourite amusement — nay,
so notorious was it, that for the sake of ladies
in the family way, who could not be persuaded
to stay at home, there were apartments pre-
pared, with every convenience for their accouche-
ment, should they be unfortunately required.
And I have been gravely told, and almost believe,
that there have actually been instances of the utility
of the arrangement. The ladies of Vienna are
particularly celebrated for their grace and move-
ments in waltzing, of which they never tire. For
my own part, I thought waltzing from ten at night
until seven in the morning, a continual whirligig ;
most tiresome to the eye, and ear, — to say nothing
of any worse consequences.

One evening, at one of these masquerades, a well-
turned compliment was paid to the Emperor, by a

KELLY.

gentleman who went in the character of Diogenes
with his lantern, in search of a man. In going
round the room he suddenly met the Emperor. He
immediately made a low obeisance to His Majesty,
and, opening his lantern, extinguished the candle,
saying, in a loud tone, " Ho trovato T uomo" (I have
found the man) ; he then took his departure, and left
the ball room. He was said to have been a courtier,
but none of the courtiers would admit that he was.

Another favourite amusement, going forward at
this period of the year, is a course des traineaux, or
procession of sledges. These sledges are richly
ornamented, and carved with figures of all kinds of
monsters, and inlaid with burnished gold, &c. A
vast number of carrettas and carts, on the day pre-
vious to this singular spectacle, gather snow, and
distribute it along the principal streets of Vienna, in
order that the sledges may be drawn with perfect
security. The effect at night, by torch-light, is like
enchantment. I have seen forty or fifty sledges
drawn up, one behind the other ; in every sledge
was a lady seated, covered with diamonds, in furs
and pelisses ; behind each was a gentleman, as mag-
nificently dressed, driving ; before every sledge, were
two running footmen, having long poles, with knobs of
silver at their ends. The Hungarian Prince Dietres-
steen, the Grand Master of the Horse, was always
the first to lead the traineaux. The immense

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velocity with which these things are drawn is per-
fectly astonishing : they go on for three or four
hours, and the procession, at its close, draws up
before the Emperor's palace. The running footmen
have costly liveries, and the horses are caparisoned
with rich trappings, and large plumes of milk-white
feathers ; and the spectacle, upon the whole, is very
magnificent.

I was quite charmed with my situation at Vienna ;
nothing could exceed the gaiety of that delightful
place. I was fortunate enough to get introduced to
the best society ; my salary amply supplied my
wants and wishes, and the public were kind and
indulgent to me when I appeared on the stage. The
kind countenance of Sir Robert Keith was not a
little conducive in advancing me in the good opinion
of the directors of the theatre.

As the theatre was in the palace, the Emperor
often honoured the rehearsals with his presence,
and discoursed familiarly with the performers. He
spoke Italian like a Tuscan, and was affable and
condescending. He came almost every night to the

C2 •/

opera, accompanied by his nephew, Francis, then a
youth. He usually entered his box at the beginning
of the piece, but if not there at the precise moment
the curtain was to be drawn up ; he had given orders
that he was never to be waited for. He was pas-
sionately fond of music, and a most excellent and

MICHAEL KELLY. 205

accurate judge of it. His mode of living was quite
methodical. He got up every morning, winter and
summer, at five o'clock, wrote in his canceleria
(study) until nine, then took a cup of chocolate, and
transacted business with his ministers till one. He
was very partial to the jeu de paume, and a good
player. He had a fine racket-court, and when not
in it, he usually walked or rode from one till three :
punctually at a quarter after three, his dinner was
served ; he almost always dined on one dish — boiled
bacon, which the people, from his partiality to it,
called kayser fleische, i. e. the Emperor's meat ; some-
times he had a dish of Hungarian beef bouilli,
with horse radish and vinegar, but rarely, if ever,
any other : his beverage at dinner was water ; and
after dinner one goblet of Tokay wine. During
dinner, he allowed only one servant to be in the
room ; and was never longer at the meal than half
an hour.

At five, he usually walked in the corridor, near his,
dining room, and whilst there, was accessible to the
complaints of the meanest of his subjects : he heard
them with complaisance, and was ever ready to
redress their grievances. He generally wore either
a green or white uniform faced with red ; nor did
I ever see him that he was not continually putting
chocolate drops, which he took from his waistcoat
pocket, into his mouth. When he walked out, he

£00 REMINISCENCES OF

took a number of golden sovereigns with him, and
distributed them personally among the indigent. He
was an enemy to pomp and parade, and avoided
them as much as possible ; indeed, hardly any
private gentleman requires so little attendance as he
did. He had a seat for his servant behind Jiis
carriage, and when he went abroad in it (which was
hardly ever the case in the day time) he made him
sit there. I was one day passing through one of
the corridors of the palace, and came directly in
contact with him ; he had his great coat hanging
on his arm : he stopped me, and asked me in Italian,
if I did not think it was very hot ; he told me that
he felt the heat so oppressive that he had taken off
his great coat, preferring to carry it on his arm.

To the Princesses Lichtenstein,'Schwartzenberg,
Lokowitz, and the Countess Thoun, he was parti-
cularly partial, and often paid them evening visits,
but always retired unattended to his carriage, which
stood in the street; for he never allowed it to be
driven into the court yards, where other carriages
were waiting. His desire was, never to have any
fuss made about him, or to give any trouble, which
was all mighty amiable ; but as there is, and ought
to be, in all civilized countries, a marked and deci-
sive distinction between the Sovereign and the sub-
ject, this did not appear particularly wise, even if it
were not particularly affected ; and of all prides, that

MICHAEL KELLY. 207

is the most contemptible, which, as Southey says,
" apes humility."

The present Emperor Francis, at the period of
which I am writing, was as thin as possible. I do
not think I ever saw so thin a youth ; his uncle was
very rigid with him, and made him enter the army,
mount guard, clean his horse, and go through the
duties of a common soldier, until he progressively
rose to the rank of an officer.

The Emperor Joseph had a strange aversion from
sitting for his portrait, although the greatest artists
were anxious to have the honour of taking it. Pele-
grini, the celebrated painter, solicited to be allowed
the honour, but in vain. — The Emperor said to
him, " There can be no occasion for taking up your
time and mine by my sitting to you ; if you are
anxious to have a likeness of me, draw the portrait
of an ill-looking man, with a wide mouth and large
nose, and then you will have a fac simile." The
reverse, however, was the fact ; for His Majesty had
an intelligent countenance, a fine set of teeth, and
when he laughed and shewed them, was rather
handsome than otherwise.

There was a wide difference between the habits-
of Joseph the Second, and those of his prime mini-
ster Prince Kaunitz, who was a most eccentric per-
sonage, but reckoned nevertheless a great statesman.
He was said to be very proud of having made up-

208 REMINISCENCES OF

the match between Louis XVI. and the unfortunate
Marie Antoinette. For several months in the year
he kept open house for all strangers, provided they
had .been presented to him by their respective am-
bassadors ; he kept a splendid table, and those who
were by their introduction entitled to dine with him,
had only to send their names to his porter before
ten o'clock in the morning. For my own part, I
have wondered how he could get any persons to be
his guests, so extraordinary was his mode of re-
ceiving them. He rose very late in the day, and
made a point before dinner of taking a ride in his
riding-house, which he never commenced until the
whole of his company were assembled for dinner :
after having deliberately ridden as long as he thought
fit, he proceeded, without making any excuse, to
make his toilette.

Though a very old man, he was very fond of
adorning his person, and remarkably particular in
having his hair well dressed, and bien poudre. — In
order to accomplish this object, he had four valets
with powder puffs, puffing away at him until his
hair was powdered to his satisfaction, while he
walked about his dressing-room in a mask. An-
other of his eccentricities was, that at all times,-
when he had at his table ambassadors, foreigners*
and ladies of the first distinction, he would, imme-
diately after dinner, have all the apparatus for

MICHAEL KELLY, 209

cleaning his teeth put down upon the table ;
literally tooth brushes, basons, &c. ; and:, with-
out the least excuse to his company, would go
through the whole process of cleaning his teeth ; a
ceremony which lasted for many minutes. It was
justly said of him, that he first made his guests sick
by making them wait so long for their dinner, and
that after they had dined, he made them sick again
by this filthy custom. But in every thing else he
was a strict observer of etiquette, and piqued himself
on it; thinking, with Lord Chesterfield, that eti-
quette was the characteristic excellence of good
society.

The Italian operas were performed at Vienna
only three times a week, the other four nights
(including Sundays), were appropriated to German
plays, which I made a point of attending, as
there were two large boxes always kept for the
Italian company, on one side of the theatre ; and
on the other, two for the German company. I have
with delight seen there the great actor Schroeder,
who was called the Garrick of Germany. His Sir
Peter Teazle was an excellent performance, and
his Lord Ogleby not inferior to King's ; and, in my
opinion, those two were the best representatives of
the old eccentric nobleman I ever saw. Schroeder
was also very great in King Lear. The scene
where he asks after his fool was one of the most

REMINISCENCES OF

exquisite pieces of acting I ever beheld ; and, indeed*
he was very great in most of Shakspeare's plays
which had been translated into German.

His performance of Sir Benjamin Dove, in Cum-
berland's play of " The Brothers,"fwas also an exqui-
site piece of acting ; as was the Captain Ironsides
of Brockman, who was an excellent comedian,
as well as tragedian. When Brockman went, by
permission of the Emperor, to act for a limited
period at Berlin, his performance of Hamlet was
reckoned by the Prussians such a masterpiece, that
there was a medallion struck of him in that cha-
racter. He gave me one of them, which,,! am
sorry to say, I lost. All the cities in Germany
wished to have this great performer, but he would
not leave Vienna, though tempted by offers of
great emolument, and would only occasionally go
to Hamburgh ; for, although that theatre could not
pay half so well as many others, he preferred
it beyond all the rest; and the reason which he
gave me for this predilection was, that in Ham-
burgh he could get fresher herrings (in which he
delighted) than in any other place.

He was a very studious man, but absent and
indolent ; indeed, proverbially so. To one trait of
his indolence, I was myself a witness.

Shakspeare's Othello was brought out for the
first time on a Saturday night; he personated

MICHAEL KELLY.

the Moor, which part he did not wish to act7
though, he said, he was delighted with it, because
the trouble of blacking his face was to him accu-
mulated horror ; however, the Emperor issued his
commands, and there was no appeal ; he, of course,
acted it, and so finely, that His Majesty commanded
it to be repeated on the Sunday, announcing that
he would again honour die performance with his
presence. I had been engaged previously to dine
with Brockman, on that day, with some other
friends. We went accordingly, and to our great
surprise, Brockman presided at table, with his
face as black as it had been the night before.
He excused his strange appearance by telling us
that he had gone through so much fatigue and
rouble in blacking his face for the Saturday's
performance, that he would not wash it off, as,
if he had done so, he should have had to undergo
the same painful process on the following evening,,
rather than which, he had sat up all the preceding
night in an arm-chair. This curious instance of
innate laziness produced much laughter and sur-
prise amongst us.

When my old and valued friend Charles Kemble

.
went to Vienna, I gave him «, letter of introduction

Brockman, and I am sure he will corroborate my
ncomia of his acting. Schroeder, who was an ex-
cellent dramatic writer, translated " The Constant

i
t

REMINISCENCES OF

Couple" into German, and acted Alderman Smuggler
himself, and Brockman played Sir Harry Wildair :
this comedy had a great run. Schroeder told
me, that he went to London for the purpose of
seeing the School for Scandal, previously to
translating it. He understood English perfectly,
and spoke it with fluency. I was told by those
whose judgment I could depend on, that his trans-
lations into German were very good. I was not
sufficiently acquainted with the language to be a
judge of their literary merits, but still I understood
German quite enough to be delighted with the
representations.

It was rather singular that Schroeder, while
in England, never made himself known to any
theatrical person. During the time he was in
London, he went (as he told me) every night
the School for Scandal was performed, and placed
himself in the middle of the pit. He gave the
most unqualified praise to the English actors,
as being true to nature. He regretted not having
had the good fortune to see Garrick ; but he had a
very fine picture of him, which he shewed me : it
was the first I had ever seen of him, and I had not
the good fortune to see the original ; but the por-
trait certainly bore a great resemblance to the
composer Salieri.

Schroeder produced a dramatic piece, of which I

MICHAEL KELLY. £13

witnessed the first representation, called " The Free-
masons." Great curiosity was excited by the title :
there were, at that time, a number of Lodges in
Vienna, and parties were formed to condemn the
piece, should any thing transpire in the repre-
sentation to ridicule the masonic ceremonies ; but
there was nothing in the piece which was not
perfectly allowable and respectful to the craft
The most rigid mason could not find any thing
to censure, for every thing was complimentary to
their useful and respected society. The conse-
quence was, the piece was received with raptu-
rous applause, and represented for a number of
nights.

Cumberland's West Indian was a favourite, and
always received great applause ; Schroeder was the
representative of Major (T^laherty. — I was well
acquainted with the play from my childhood. —
In Dublin, many times and oft I had seen Ryder
in the Major, Mrs. Sparkes in Charlotte Rusport,
and the Prince of all Belcours — Lewis. I con-
sidered Lewis, in his line, a perfect actor; but,
candidly speaking, I thought his best days were
past before my friend, Frederick Reynolds, made
him a dramatist. The Vienna Belcour was Lange,
esteemed the most perfect representative of the
lover and gentleman on the German stage. He
was a fine performer, and, like my friend and

REMINISCENCES OF

countryman, Pope, considered an excellent mi-
niature painter, as well as an ornament to the
stage. He spoke English very well, and had
the reputation of being a good scholar. — His
society was much courted.

How a Vienna audience could relish a national
Irish character like OTlaherty, was to me a matter
of great surprise, as I never heard, but once, that
the Irish brogue was translatable ; to be sure, that
was from pretty good authority. — I happened one
morning to meet the Right Honourable John
Philpot Curran in Pall Mall, and, in the course of
conversation, he told me that he had been the night
before to Drury Lane, to see the West Indian. —
*' Well," said I, " did you not think that my friend
Jack Johnstone was an inimitable Major CTFla-
herty ?" — " Why, indeed," said he, " I thought it
an able representation of the Irish gentleman, but
not of the Irish brogue — our friend Jack Johnstone
does not give us the brogue, Sir, he translates it."

I told Mr. Curran that I was sorry to differ
in opinion with such an excellent judge as his
Honour, but that, through the earlier part of my
life in Italy, Sicily, and Germany, I had associated
with a number of Irish officers, and it appeared to
me that nothing could be more like their manner
than my friend's performance ; indeed, I thought
him unique, and suspected, that had his brogue

MICHAEL KELLY.

been broader, it might have been unintelligible to an
English audience.

Schroeder's representation of this part appeared,
by the applause he received, and the laughter he
produced, to delight his auditors. The Emperor
Joseph was partial to his performance of it. An-
other favourite part of Schroeder's was Gradus, in
Mrs. Cowley's " Who's the Dupe ?" That cele-
brated, and most excellent low comedian, Widman,
the great pet of the good people of Vienna, acted
Old Doiley, and convulsed the house with laughter.
I knew him well ; he was a singular character, and,
like the celebrated Italian Harlequin at Paris,
a prey to hypochondriacal affection, always fancying,
from one hour to another, he should breathe his
last) and continually taking medicine to avert the
impending calamity. In the characters of " Cor-
bachio," in the " Comedy of the Fox," and the
" Tartuffe" of Moliere, he was super-excellent. —
He was one of the committee of five actors who
were directors of the drama; the other four were
Brockman, Lange, and the two brothers Stephani,
both excellent comedians in their line. The elder
Stephani was reckoned a man of considerable
literary talent. It was his province to read all
the new pieces that were presented, and send his
opinion of their merits to Prince Rosenberg, the
Grand Chamberlain.

£16 REMINISCENCES OF

There was a law amongst the committee of five
actors, that one of them, in full dress, hag,
and sword, &c. should be in attendance during
the performance every evening, to announce the
entertainments of the following night, and make
any appeal to the audience which might be neces-
sary, always being one of the actors not otherwise
concerned in the business of the evening. The
leading female of the company was Madame Sacqui,
considered as a rival in talent to the celebrated
Clairon, so much praised by Garrick. Madame
Sacqui was a fine woman, but I should think turned
of- forty when I saw her ; she had a sweet coun-
tenance, and the rays of beauty still lingered about
her. I have seen her with great delight in the
" Widow of Malabar."

There was a species of drama at that time much
in vogue at Vienna, and indeed all over Germany?
called a Monologue, and which has since been
occasionally introduced upon the English stage.
The person who performs is accompanied between
the different speeches by music, made to accord
with the different passages of the recitation. Ma-
dame Sacqui performed ." Medea,1' in " Jason
-and Medea.1'' — Her representation of the part was
•trulv terrific, and the music, the composition of the
celebrated Bendar, sublime. Another Monologue,
entitled " Ariadne and Theseus," was divinely

MICHAEL KELLY. 217

acted by Mademoiselle Jacquet, the sister of the
lovely Ademberger, of whom it was said, that she
united the elegance of the Graces with the talents
of the Muses; nothing could be more, affecting
than her grief and despair when abandoned by
Theseus. I never missed her representation
of Ariadne, and each time I saw it, I fancied I
discovered new beauties in it : the music of the
piece, composed by Graum, the favourite composer
of the King of Prussia, was very beautiful and
appropriate.

Melpomene might well be proud of her two great
followers, as might Thalia of the incomparable and
matchless Madame Ademberger, wife of a tenor
singer who performed at the Opera House in
London. She was called Nature's darling child.
I never then had seen Mrs. Jordan ; but Stephen
Storace, who had just come to Vienna from London,
had repeatedly seen her, and told me that Madame
Ademberger was her very prototype in figure, voice,
action, and genius. Her performance of Peggy, in
the " Country Girl," was a treat ; and when I came
to England, and saw Mrs. Jordan at Drury Lane
in the same character, had I not been convinced
that they never could have seen each other, I
should have sworn that one of them copied the
other, so great was their resemblance. Brockman's
acting, in " Moody," was a masterpiece, and

VOL. I. L

218 EEMIXISCEKCES OF

strange to say, (for they neither could have seen
each other), very much in the style of King's
representation of that part.

In the midst of my devotion to tragedy and
comedy, I did not forget what I owed to music ;
and what more favourable opportunity could offer
for evincing my devotion to the science of harmony
than that which presented itself, of visiting the
immortal Haydn? He was living at Eisenstadt,
the palace of Prince Esterhazy, in whose service he
was, and thither I determined to go and pay my
respects to him ; accordingly, accompanied by a
friend of mine of the name of Brida, a young
Tyrolese merchant, I set off post to fulfil my
intentions.

I had the pleasure of spending three days with
him, and received from him great hospitality and
kindness. The Prince Esterhazy lived in regal
splendour ; his revenues are enormous, and Kis
Highness spent his great fortune with munificence
and noble liberality. He was particularly fond of
music ; — his band was formed of great professors;
— Haydn was his maitre de chapelle. There was
at Eisenstadt, merely for the amusement of the
Prince, his family, suite, and vassals, an Italian
Opera, a German and a French theatre, and the
finest Fantoccini in Europe.

At this delightful place Haydn composed the

MICHAEL KELLY.

greatest part of his immortal works. I saw and
admired the different artists employed by the
Prince, who unanimously gave His Highness an
enviable character for generosity and exalted good-
ness. His vassals absolutely adored him.

The country about Eisenstadt is delightfully
picturesque, abounding in wood and water, and all
kinds of game. The Prince had the goodness
to desire Haydn to take one of his carriages, that
we might drive about and see all the beauties of
this terrestrial paradise, for such I thought it. His
Highness was very partial to shooting, hunting, and
fishing.

We took our departure on the evening of the
third day, delighted and flattered with the gracious
kindness we had received, and with light hearts
arrived at Vienna.

Upon my return, my/ servant informed me that
a lady and gentleman had called upon me, who
said they came from England, and requested to see
me at their hotel. I called the next morning,
and saw the gentleman, who said his name was
Botterelli, that he was the Italian poet of the
King's Theatre in the Haymarket, and that his
wife was an English woman, and a principal singer
at Vauxhall, Ranelagh, the Pantheon, &c. Her
object in visiting Vienna was to give a concert, to
be heard by the Emperor ; and if she gave that

220 REMINISCENCES OF

satisfaction, (which she had no doubt she would),
to accept of an engagement at the Royal Theatre ;
and he added, that she had letters for the first
nobility in Vienna,

The lady came into the room ; she was a very
fine woman, and seemed sinking under the con-
scious load of her own attractions. — She really had
powerful letters of recommendation. Prince Charles
Lichtenstein granted her his protection ; and there
was such interest made for her, that the Emperor
himself signified his Royal intention of honouring
her concert with his presence. Every thing was
done for her ; — the orchestra and singers were en-
gaged ; — the concert began to a crowded house,
but, I must premise, we had no rehearsal.

At the end of the first act, the beauteous Syren,
led into the orchestra by her caro sposo, placed her-
self just under the Emperor's box, the orchestra
being on the stage. She requested me to accom-
pany her song on the piano-forte. — I of course con-
sented. Her air and manner spoke " dignity and
love." The audience sat in mute and breathless
expectation. The doubt was, whether she would
melt into their ears in a fine cantabile, or burst upon
them with a brilliant bravura. I struck the chords
of the symphony — silence reigned — when, to the
dismay and astonishment of the brilliant audience,
she bawled out, without feeling or remorse, voice

MICHAEL KELLY.

or time, or indeed one note in tune, the hunting
song of " Tally ho !" in all its pure originality.
She continued shrieking out Tally ho ! tally ho !
in a manner and tone so loud and dissonant, that
they were enough to blow off the roof of the
house. The audience jumped up terrified; some
shrieked with alarm, some hissed, others hooted,
and many joined in the unknown yell, in order to
propitiate her. The Emperor called me to him,
and asked me in Italian (what tally ho ! meant?) —
I replied, I did not know ; and literally, at that time,
I did not.

His Majesty, the Emperor, finding that even /,
a native of Great Britain, either could not, or
would not, explain the purport of the mysterious
words, retired with great indignation from the
theatre ; and the major part of the audience, con-
vinced by His Majesty^ sudden retreat that they
contained some horrible meaning, followed the
Royal example. The ladies hid their faces with
their fans, and mothers were heard in the lobbies
cautioning their daughters on the way out, never
to repeat the dreadful expression of " tally ho,"
nor venture to ask any of their friends for a trans-
lation of it.

The next day, when I saw the husband of
" tally ho," he abused the taste of the people of
Vienna, and said that the song, which they did not

222 REMINISCENCES OF

know how to appreciate, had been sung by the
celebrated Mrs. Wrighton at Vauxhall, and was a
great favourite all over England. Thus, however,
ended the exhibition of Eno-lish taste : and Sig;nora

o o

Tally ho ! with her Italian poet, went hutning
elsewhere, and never returned to Vienna, at least
during my residence.

I went one evening to a concert of the celebrated
Kozeluch's, a great composer for the piano-forte,
as well as a fine performer on that instrument.
I saw there the composers Vanhall and Baron
Dittersdorf ; and, what was to me one of the greatest
gratifications of my musical life, was there intro-
duced to that prodigy of genius — Mozart. He
favoured the company by performing fantasias and
capriccios on the piano-forte. His feeling, the
rapidity of his fingers, the great execution and
strength of his left hand particularly, and the ap-
parent inspiration of his modulations, astounded
me. After this splendid performance we sat down
to supper, and I had the pleasure to be placed at
table between him and his wife, Madame Constance
Weber, a German lady, of whom he was passionately
fond, and by whom he had three children. He
conversed with me a good deal about Thomas
Linley, the first Mrs. Sheridan's brother, with whom
he was intimate at Florence, and spoke of him with
great affection. He said that Linley was a true

MICHAEL KELLY.

genius ; and he felt that, had he lived, he would
have been one of the greatest ornaments of the
musical world. After supper the young branches
of our host had a dance, and Mozart joined them.
Madame Mozart told me, that great as his genius
was, he was an enthusiast in dancing, and often
said that his taste lay in that art, rather than in
music.

He was a remarkably small man, very thin and

pale, with a profusion of fine fair hair, of which

he was rather vain. He gave me a cordial invi-

tation to his house, of which I availed myself, and

passed a great part of my time there. He always

received me with kindness and hospitality. — He

was remarkably fond of punch, of which beverage

I have seen him take copious draughts. He was

also fond of billiards, and had an excellent billiard

table in his house. Many and many a game have

I played with him, but always came off second

best. He gave Sunday concerts, at which I never

was missing. He was kind-hearted, and always

ready to oblige ; but so very particular, when he

played, that if the slightest noise were made, he

instantly left off. He one day made me sit down

to the piano, and gave credit to my first master,

who had taught me to place my hand well on the

instrument. — He conferred on me what I considered

a high compliment. I had composed a little melody

REMINISCENCES. OF

to MetastaskTs canzonetta, " Grazie agl' inganni
tuoi," which was a great favourite wherever I sang
it. It was very simple, but had the good fortune
to please Mozart. He took it and composed vari-
ations upon it, which were truly beautiful ; and had
the further kindness and condescension to play
them wherever he had an opportunity. Thinking
that the air thus rendered remarkable might be ac-
ceptable to some of my musical readers, I have
subjoined it.

Encouraged by his flattering approbation, I
attempted several little airs, which I shewed him,
and which he kindly approved of; so much indeed,
that I determined to devote myself to the study of
counterpoint, and consulted with him, by whom I
ought to be instructed. — He said, " My good lad,
you ask my advice, and I will give it you candidly ;
had you studied composition when you were at
Naples, and when your mind was not devoted to
other pursuits, you would perhaps have done wisely;
but now that your profession of the stage must, and
ought, to occupy all your attention, it would be an
unwise measure to enter into a dry study. You
may take my word for it, Nature has made you a
melodist, and you would only disturb and perplex
yourself. Reflect, ' a little knowledge is a danger-
ous thing;1 — should there be errors in what you
write, you will find hundreds of musicians, in all

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<;IL MIL . K.7. /. \ '(,: /. i : i / ri '<>/.

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fill «km in - fe li - ce eb-ber-^i<la|ae - ta

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i tuoi al

li «-e rfo-br

4ei pie ta gra-zie

<• noil t of Fen <lj) il vc !•<>

<• iion-t' of feu dail vie - ro uel

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tuo le^-giadro as pet - to or St-o pi-<> alcun di-- — fet - to

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^-
mi pa rea bel ta

mi pa rea bel ta

Ond

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(\K s«> To Sou Sincere
^•Viicoj'ini s«'iul»ri Bella
Ma non mi sembri quella
Che paragon 11011 ha'
E noii ti offeiulinl veix>
Nel tno Le^'iadro aspetto
Or Seopro alc-un diletto
Che mi Parea Bella

Pa Capo

( iraxk>

lugauni tno

lo Lascio un incost;uite
"filpeixti im Cor Sineero
Nt>n so (liNoi primiero
Chi sabbia a Consolar.
Un si fido aniante
Non h-overa Tin Nice
Clu- mi altra hit;-aiiiiatrice
E tacile a Tixn-av

Da C;ijKt

tuoi

.'.. ir.....

MICHAEL KELLY.

parts of the world, capable of correcting them ;
therefore do not disturb your natural gift."

" Melody is the essence of music," continued he ;
" / compare a good melodist to a fine racer, and
counterpointists to hack post-horses; therefore be
advised, let well alone, and remember the old
Italian proverb — 4 Chi sa piu, meno sa — Who
knows most, knows least." The opinion of this
great man made on me a lasting impression.

My friend Attwood (a worthy man, and an orna-
ment to the musical world) was Mozart's favourite
scholar, and it gives me great pleasure to record
what Mozart said to me about him ; his words
were, " Attwood is a young man for whom I have
a sincere affection and esteem ; he conducts himself
with great propriety, and I feel much pleasure in
telling you, that he partakes more of my style than
any scholar I ever had ; and I predict, that he will
prove a sound musician." Mozart was very liberal
in giving praise to those who deserved it ; but felt
a thorough contempt for insolent mediocrity. He
was a member of the Philharmonic Society of
Bologna and Verona ; and when at Rome, the Pope
conferred on him the Cross and Brevet of Knight
of Le Spiron d'Ora.

At the time of which I am speaking, music was
in the highest state of perfection at Vienna ; for,
independent of the great talents that were stationary,

L «?

225 REMINISCENCES OF

there was a number of the most celebrated artists
passing from Italy to Poland, Prussia, and Russia,
most of whom gave concerts at Vienna. The
Emperor usually attended them, and amply re-
warded the performers. The celebrated Marches^
came from Venice to Vienna, on his road to Peters-
burg, where he was engaged for the Italian opera.
He gave a concert, and was honoured by the Em-
peror's presence, and a brilliant audience ; he was a
great singer, and in the prime of his abilities.
During his stay at Vienna, he was on a visit to the
Venetian Ambassador, who, in compliment to him,
gave a grand dinner to the Italian performers,
amongst whom, I had the honour of being invited ;
— the banquet was splendid. His Excellency was a
great gourmand, and was a good deal ridiculed for
his attention to the gastronomic art ; he gave his
cook five hundred zecchinos per annum, but he was
rich, and had a right to please himself. For my
own part, though not much of an epicure, I think
a good cook an essential personage in an establish-
ment, and in the end, an economical one ; and there
is no place, generally speaking, where the art of
cookery is better understood than at Vienna.

During my stay, I had the pleasure of hearing
two of the first performers on the violin, perhaps in
the world ; both gave concerts, and their performance
was truly exquisite, although in different styles.

MICHAEL KELLY. 227

The first was Giornovick, who was on his way from
liussia to Paris, and had been many years first con-
certo player at the court of Petersburg. He was a
man of a certain age, but in the full vigour of
talent ; his tone was very powerful, his execution
most rapid, and his taste above all alluring. No
performer, in ray remembrance, played such pleasing
music. He generally closed his concertos with a
rondo, the subject of which was some popular Rus-
sian air, to which he composed variations with
enchanting taste; his performance reminded me
strongly of the celebrated La Motte, whom I had
often heard at the Rotunda in Dublin.

Janewitz, the other, was a very young man, in the
service of the King of Poland ; he also touched the
instrument with thrilling effect, and was an excellent
leader of an orchestra. His concertos always finished
with some pretty Polonaise air ; his variations also
were truly beautiful.

But the Apollo, the Orpheus of the age, was the
redoubted and renowned Baron Bach, who came to
Vienna to be heard by the Emperor. He (in his own
conceit) surpassed Tartini, Nardini, &c. &c. This
fanatico per la musica had just arrived from Peters-
burg, where he went to make his extraordinary talents
known to the Royal Family and Court. Now, I have
often heard this man play, and I positively declare,
that his performance was as bad as any blind fiddler's

228 REMINISCENCES OF

at a wake in a country town in Ireland ; but he was
a man of immense fortune, and kept open house. In
every city which he passed through, he gave grand
dinners, to which all the musical professors were
invited ; at Vienna, myself among the rest. One
day, having a mind to put his vanity to the test, I
told him that he reminded me of the elder Cramer.
He seemed rather disappointed than pleased with
my praise — he acknowledged Cramer had some
merit, that he had played with him out of the same
book at Manheim, when Cramer was first voilin at
that Court ; but that the Elector said that his tone
was far beyond Cramer's, for Cramer was tame and
slothful, and lie was all fire and spirit ; and that, to
make a comparison between them, would be to com-
pare a dove to a game cock. In my life, I never
knew any man who snuffed up the air of praise like
this discordant idiot.

After he had been heard by the Emperor (who
laughed heartily at him) he set off for London, in
order that the King of England might have an
opportunity of hearing his dulcet strains. When
he had taken his departure, another violin player
arrived from Russia, a Doctor Fisher, a most
eccentric man, possessing some merit in his pro-
fession, but a bit of a quack, and an inordinate
prattler ; he related strange things of himself, and
was particularly tenacious of his veracity. The

MICHAEL KELLY.

harmonious Doctor, however, (who, by the bye, was
a very ugly Christian) kid siege to poor Nancy
Storace ; and by dint of perseverance with her, and
drinking tea with her mother, prevailed upon her
to take him for better for worse, which she did in
despite of the advice of' all her friends; she had
cause, however, in a short time to repent of her
bargain, for instead of harmony, there was nothing
but discord between them ; and it was said he had a
very striking way of enforcing his opinion, of which
a friend of tier's informed the Emperor, who inti-
mated to him, that it would be fit for him to try a
change of air, and so the Doctor was banished from
Vienna.

Storace was the second wife of the discordant
Doctor, His first wife was one of the daughters
of Mr. Powell, the proprietor of Covent Garden
Theatre. The Doctor had a sixteenth share of the
Covent Garden Theatre property, in right of his
wife ; but was such an inordinate coxcomb, that the
other proprietors had a great contempt for him and
his opinion. I have heard Moody say, that he came
one evening into the green room when he was pre-
sent, and abused an actress for having torn her
petticoat ; and when questioned by her as to his
right to do so, he replied, with great pomposity,1 —
44 All the right in the world, Madam, I have to
look after my property ; for know, Madam, the

230 UEMINISCENCES OF

sixteenth part of the petticoat which you have de-
stroyed belongs to me, and is mine, to all intents
and purposes.1' Ayhen his wife died, he parted with
his share, to the great joy of the other partners in
the concern *.

The same year, (1781',) the city of Vienna was
honoured with the presence of His Iloyal Highness
the Duke of York, then Bishop of Osnaburgh. On
his entry into the city, he was received by the
populace with acclamations, and welcomed by bril-
liant fetes and rejoicings. The condescension and
kindness for which His Royal Highness ever has
been distinguished, thus early gained him the
hearts of all ranks of society : he was in his one
and twentieth year, and allowed to be a model of
manly beauty. I have seen him often walking in

* The first Mrs. Fisher had two sisters ; the one married, first,
Mr. Warren, and secondly, Mr. Martindale, who kept one of
the club houses in St. James's Street, who aiso left her a widow ;
upon her death she bequeathed her share of Covent Garden
Theatre to Francis Const, Esq. the worthy and excellent chair-
man of the Middlesex and Westminster Sessions. The other
married Mr. White, one of the clerks of the House of Commons,
in right of whose daughters, (to whom they are married,) Mr.
\Villett, and Captain Forbes of the navy, now hold each similar
shares of Covent Garden Theatre to that which the veracious
Doctor Fisher possessed by a similar tenure at the time to which
I have just aliuded ; and have, of course, if they chose to exercise
it, a similar right to the sixteenth part of every actress's petticoat
at the present moment.

MICHAEL KELLY. 231

the streets of Vienna, dressed in the Windsor uni-
form, with his hair platted behind, attended by OHL»
or two of his aides-de-camp, visiting the different
shops, and conversing with the most amiable fami-
liarity with the concourse of people that flocked
around him. The Emperor paid him great and
marked attention.

His Royal Highnesses first visit to the theatre
attracted a crowded and brilliant assemblage. The
Emperor, accompanied by his brother Maximilian,
the Archbishop of Cologne, was present. A new
opera, composed by Stephen Storace, was produced
on the occasion : Signora StOrace and myself had
the two principal parts in it. In the middle of the
iirst act, Storace all at once lost her voice, and could
not utter a sound during the whole of the per-
formance ; this naturally threw a damp over the
audience, as well as the performers. The loss of the
iirst female singer, who was a great and deserved
favourite, was to the composer, her brother, a severe
blow. I never shall forget her despair and disap-
pointment, but she was not then prepared for the
extent of her misfortune, for she did not recover
her voice sufficiently to appear on the stage for five
months.

As a proof of the retentive memory of His Royal
Highness, the circumstances of which I speak are
now one and forty years old ; and yet, His Royal

REMINISCENCES OF

Highness recollected, and repeated them to a friend
of mine very recently. To have lived so long in
his Royal remembrance, is to me high honour and
gratification.

During the continuance of Storace's illness, three
operas were produced, in which Sign or a Cortellini,
Madame Bernasconi, and Signora Laschi per-
formed. The last of these operas was composed
by Signpr Rigini, and written by the poet of the
theatre, the Abbe da Ponte, by birth a Venetian-
It was said, that originally he was a Jew, — turned
Christian, — dubbed him self an Abbe, — and became
a great dramatic writer. In his opera, there was
a character of an amorous eccentric poet, which
was allotted to me ; at the time, I was esteemed a
good mimic, and particularly happy in imitating
the walk, countenance, and attitudes of those whom
I wished to resemble. My friend, the poet, had a
remarkably awkward gait, a habit of throwing
himself (as he thought) into a graceful attitude,
by putting his stick behind his back, and leaning
on it ; he had also a very peculiar, rather dan-
dyish, way of dressing; for, in sooth, the Abbe
stood mighty well with himself, and had the cha-
racter of a consummate coxcomb; he had also a
strong lisp and broad Venetian dialect.

The first night of the performance, he was seated in
the boxes, more conspicuously than was absolutely

MICHAEL KELLY. 233

necessary, considering he was the author of the piece
to be performed. As usual, on the first night of a
new opera, the Emperor was present, and a numerous
auditory. When I made my entree as the amorous
poet, dressed exactly like the Abbe in the boxes,
imitating his walk, leaning on my stick, and aping
his gestures and his lisp, there was a universal roar
of laughter and applause ; and after a buzz round the
house, the eyes of the whole audience were turned
to the place where he was seated. The Emperor
enjoyed the joke, laughed heartily, and applauded
frequently during the performance ; the Abbe was
not at all affronted, but took my imitation of him
in good part, and ever after we were on the best
'terms. The opera was successful, had a run of
many nights, and I established the reputation of a
good mimic.

Storace had an opera put into rehearsal, the
subject his own choice, Shakspeare's Comedy of
Errors*. It was made operatical, and adapted for
the Italian, by Da Ponte, with great ingenuity.
He retained all the main incidents and characters
of our immortal bard ; it became the rage, and
well it might, for the music of Storace was beyond

* I often mentioned (after I came to England) to Mr.
Sheridan, how much I thought introducing Storace's music
into the Comedy of Errors would do for Drury Lane : he
approved of it, and said he would give directions to have it

REMINISCENCES OF

description beautiful. I performed Antiphohis of
Ephesus, and a Signor Calvasi, Antipholus of
Syracuse, we were both of the same height, and
strove to render our persons as like each other as
we could.

About the time of which I am now speaking,
the celebrated poet, L'Abbate Casti, came from
Italy to Vienna, on a visit to Prince Rosenberg.
He was esteemed by the literati, the severest
satirist since the days of Aretin. The Animcdi
Parhinti, for its wit and satire, will always be
remembered. Just at the same period, the cele-
brated Paesiello arrived at Vienna, on his way
to Naples, from Petersburg, where he had been

done, but he never did. It is singular, that more than thirty-
six years after I had suggested the idea, the proprietors of
Covent Garden should bring the play forward as an opera ;
yet, had it been produced at Drury Lane at the time I
mentioned it, my friend, Prince Hoare, would not have had
in his excellent afterpiece, called " No Song no Supper,"
the beautiful sestetto, " Hope a distant joy disclosing ;" for that
piece of music, and the trio, " Knocking at this time of day,"
were both in the Equivoci ; or, Italian Comedy of Errors, The
music used, where Antipholus seeks admittance into his house,
and his wife calls the guard, was that fine chorus in the
Pirates, " Hark the guard is coining," and was certainly one
of the most effective pieces of music ever heard. Both the
songs sung by me in the Pirates, at Drury Lane, I had sung at
Vienna , in the same opera of the Equivoci : Storace certainly
enriched his English pieces, but I lamented to see his beau-
tit ul Italian opera dismantled.

MICHAEL KELLY. 235

some years, and amassed very great wealth. I
had the pleasure of seeing him introduced to
Mozart ; it was gratifying to witness the satisfaction
which they appeared to feel by becoming acquainted ;
the esteem which they had for each other was well
known. The meeting took place at Mozart's house ;
I dined with them, and often afterwards enjoyed
their society together.

The Emperor hearing that Cast! and Paesiello
were in Vienna, wished to have them presented to
him on the first levee day ; they were accordingly
introduced to His Majesty by the Great Cham-
berlain. The compositions of Paesiello were always
in high favour with the Emperor. Kis Majesty
said to them, with his usual affability, " I think I
may say, I have now before me two of the greatest
geniuses alive ; and it would be most gratifying to
me, to have an opera, the joint production of both,
performed at my theatre ;" they of course obeyed
the flattering command, and the greatest expec-
tations were excited by the union of such talents.

One day, during the stay of Paesiello, I heard
him relate an anecdote illustrative of the kindness
of the Empress Catherine of Russia towards him.
She was his scholar; and while he was accompa-
nying her one bitter cold morning, he shuddered
with the cold. Her Majesty perceiving it, took off*
a beautiful cloak which she had on, ornamented

236 REMINISCENCES OF

with clasps of brilliants of great value, and threw
it over his shoulders. Another mark of esteem for
him, she evinced by her reply to Marshal Belo-
selsky. The Marshal, agitated, it is believed, by
the " green-eyed monster,311 forgot himself so far
as to give Paesiello a blow ; Paesiello, who was a
powerful athletic man, gave him a sound drubbing.
In return, the Marshal laid his complaint before
the Empress, and demanded from her Majesty the
immediate dismissal of Paesiello from the Court,
for having had the audacity to return a blow upon
a Marshal of the Russian Empire. Catherine's
reply was, " I neither can nor will attend to your
request; you forgot your dignity when you gave
an unoffending man and a great artist a blow ; are
you surprised that he should have forgotten it too ?
and as to rank, it is in my power, Sir, to make
fifty marshals, but not one Paesiello."

I give the above anecdote as I heard it, although
I confess it is rather a strange coincidence, that a
similar circumstance should have occurred to Hol-
bein, when a complaint was made against him to
Henry VIII. by a Peer of Great Britain.

Casti was a remarkably quick writer ; in a short
time he finished his drama, entitled " II Re Teo-
doro." It was said, Joseph II. gave him the sub-
ject, and that it was intended as a satire upon the
King of Sweden, but the fact I believe was never

MICHAEL KELLY. 237

ascertained. The characters of the drama were
Teodoro, Signer Mandini; Taddeo, the Venetian
innkeeper, Bennuci ; the sultan Achmet, Bussani ;
his sultana, Signora Laschi ; Lisetta, daughter to
the innkeeper, Signora Storace ; and Sandrino, her
lover, Signor Viganoni ; all these performers were
excellent in their way, and their characters
strongly pourtrayed ; but the most marked part,
and on which the able Casti had bestowed the
most pains, was that of Gafferio, the king's secre-
tary. This character was written avowedly, as a
satire on General Faoli, and drawn with a masterly
hand. Casti declared, there was not a person in
our company (not otherwise employed in the
opera) capable of undertaking this part. It was
decided, therefore, by the directors of the theatre,
to send immediately to Venice, to engage Signor
Blasi, at any price, to come and play it. This
delayed us a little, and in the interim, Storace
gave a quartett party to his friends. The players
were tolerable ; not one of them excelled on the
instrument he played, but there was a little
science among them, which I dare say will be
acknowledged when I name them :

The First Violin .... HAYDN.

„ Second Violin . . . BARON DITTERSDORF.

„ Violoncello .... VAN HALL.

„ Tenor MOZART.

238 REMINISCENCES OF

The poet Casti and Paesiello formed part of the
audience. I was there, and a greater treat, or a
more remarkable one, cannot be im alined.

On the particular evening to which I am now
specially referring, after the musical feast was over,
we sat down to an excellent supper, and became
joyous and lively in the extreme. After several
„ songs had been sung, Storace, who was present,
asked me to give them the Canzonetta. Now thereby
hung a tale, new to the company ! The truth was
this: — There was an old miser of the name of
Varesi, living at Vienna, who absolutely denied
himself the common necessaries of life, and who
made up his meals by pilfering fruits and sweet-
meats from the parties to which he was invited ;
the canzonetta for which Storace asked, he was
particularly fond of singing with a tremulous
voice, accompanied by extraordinary gestures, and
a shake of the head ; it was, in fact, this imita-
tion which I was called upon to exhibit, and I did
so. During my performance, I perceived Casti
particularly attentive, and when I had finished, he
turned to Paesiello, and said, " This is the v<ery
fellow to act the character of Gafferio, in our opera ;
this boy shall be our old man ! and if he keep old
Varesi in his eye when he acts it, I will answer for
his success." The opera was brought out, the
drama was excellent, and the music was acknow-

MICHAEL KELLY.

ledged the chef-cTceuvre of Paesiello. Overflowing
houses, for three successive seasons, bore testimony
to its merits. I played the old man ; and although
really little more than a boy, never lost sight of the
character I was personating for a moment.

After the first night's performance, His Majesty,
the Emperor, was pleased to have it signified to
me, through Prince Rosenberg, that he was so
much surprised and pleased with my performance,
that he had ordered an addition to my salary of
one hundred zecchinos per annum, (about fifty
pounds British,) which I ever after enjoyed, during
my stay at Vienna : in short, wherever I went I
was nicknamed Old Gafferio.

Paesiello was particularly kind to me, during his
stay at Vienna, and was much diverted with my
monkey antics. When at Naples, he wrote to
me, to say that the King of Naples had commanded
him to put the opera of " II Teodoro" in rehearsal,
and wished me to ask the Emperor for six months'*
leave of absence to go to Naples and perform in it ;
and I should have my journey paid, and a most
ample remuneration given me. This offer, liberal
as it was5 for private reasons not worth recording,
I refused. The song in Old GafFerio's part, which
I may say was the lucky star of my professional
career, strange as it may appear, I had the folly to
refuse to sing, thinking it too trivial for me. I sent

240 REMINISCENCES OF

it back to Paesiello ; he desired to see me — I went
— and he played me the beautiful accompaniment
for it which he had written, but which was not sent
me, I having received only the voice part. When
I was going away, this great man gave me a gentle
admonition, not to judge of things rashly : a piece
of advice not thrown away upon me.

The Emperor, this season, had a number of gala
days, both at Vienna and at Schoenbrunn, the
gardens of which very much resemble those of
Hampton Court, but on a larger scale. There were
several balls and fetes given there, and fireworks
of the most brilliant description, all open to the
public. I remember one evening, seeing there Lord
and Lady Buckley, Sir Robert Williams, Lord
and Lady Granard, Colonel and Mrs. Doyle, and

a great number of English nobility, who were
then at Vienna, and whom I had the honour of
meeting at Sir Robert Keith's, the English ambas-
sador.

There were a number of fetes also given at the
Hantz Garden, which the people of Vienna fre-
quented, particularly on Sundays : several of the
alleys and walks are like those in Kensington
Gardens. In the gardens there was an excellent
restaurant, where dinner parties continually met ;
and the accommodations were excellent.

An event happened to me in returning to Vienna,

MICHAEL KELLY.

from that place, which, at the time, made a terrific
impression on me. There was a young nobleman
at Vienna, whose name it would be improper to
publish (though the transaction was perfectly

notorious). The son of Prince P , who had

been governor of Gratz ; five and twenty year^.of
age, very affable and accomplished, although wild
and dissipated. Remembering me at Gratz, he
often called upon me at Vienna. He was a great
musical amateur, and a constant attendant at the
Italian Opera House. One morning, he called, and
asked me to meet him at three o'clock at the Hantz
Garden, and dine with him there afterwards. I
kept my appointment ; we had an excellent tete-a-
tete dinner, and passed an extremely pleasant day.
It was in the summer season, and about nine o'clock
we returned to Vienna in a hackney coach. As we
were entering the Grauben Street, the coach was
stopped and surrounded by a crowd of police
officers ; both the doors were instantly opened, and
the Count and myself dragged into the street.
Mr. Wivse, lieutenant of police, came to me and
desired me not to be alarmed. " Mr. O'Kelly," said
he, " you have nothing to fear, but we have a

warrant against your companion, Count P , for

forgery, to a large amount : you are at liberty to
go where you please, but he must be taken to
prison."

VOL. I. M

REMINISCENCES OF

They accordingly took him away, and I was not
allowed to follow him. In a few days he was tried,
and condemned to sweep the streets of Vienna.
Often, as I have been walking, I have met this
unfortunate man, with his head shaved, wearing a
paper cap, and a jacket of coarse cloth, chained,
with a large log tied to his leg, and a broom in his
hand, actually sweeping the crossways with other
felons.

Those unfortunate wretches, after they have
swept the streets for a limited period, as an example,
are chained in couples, and compelled to drag
barges on the Danube. Every interest was made

to save him ; the Princess L n, to whom he

was nearly related, then in a most critical state of
health, threw herself upon her knees before the
Emperor to procure his pardon ; but His Majesty
was inflexible, and said that, " If he had a son who
had been guilty of the same crime, he should
undergo the same punishment." This event made
an awful impression on me, and it was long before
my spirits recovered the shock.

Just after this startling event, the Italian com-
pany were ordered to prepare to follow His Majesty
to his palace at Luxemburgh, and to remain there
for the summer months. The palace is only a few
miles from Vienna, and nothing can be more mag-
nificent ; it is surrounded by forests full of all kinds

MICHAEL KELLY. 243

'of game; the park, gardens, and grounds, truly
beautiful, and in the centre of a rich and luxuriant
country. The theatre was very pretty, and very
well attended ; for all had their entree to it gratis,
including the surrounding peasantry.

Italian operas were performed three times, Ger-
man plays twice, and German operas twice in each
week. I passed the time here most delightfully,
Every performer of the Italian opera had separate
apartments allotted to him, and his breakfast was
sent thither. There was a magnificent saloon, in
which we all met at dinner. The table was plen-
tifully and luxuriantly supplied with every delicacy
of the season; with wines of all descriptions, as
well as all kinds of fruits, ices, &c. ; and every
night, after the spectacle, an excellent supper. In
the mornings I had nothing to do (there were no
rehearsals) but to amuse myself. The Emperor
and his Court went often in chase of the Airone
bird — an amusement he was very partial to. Prince
Dichtrestein, the Master of the Horse, was very
friendly to Signora Storace, and did her the kind-
ness to send her one of the court barouches to view
the chase. I always accompanied her on these
excursions.

One day, the Emperor rode up to our carriage
•on horseback, and asked us, if we were amused,
and if he could do any thing for us. Storace, with

REMINISCENCES OF

her peculiar characteristic bluntness, said, "Why,

J. JV

Sire, I am very thirsty, will your Majesty be so
good as to order me a glass of water?" — The
Emperor with his usual affability smiled, called to
one of his attendants to grant the request, and the
glass of water was brought.

I have another instance to record of the con-
descension and urbanity of the Emperor. He
one day reviewed twenty thousand of his finest
troops: it was a glorious sight, and one that I
shall never forget. Signora Storace, her mother,
Bennuci, and myself, were on the ground at six
o'clock in our barouche. The Emperor, who had
a very military appearance, was surrounded by
his staff, and accompanied by his nephew and
heir, Grand Marshals Prince De Ligne, Prince

o -•>

Charles Lichtenstein, Prince Schwartzenberg,
Prince Lokowitz, &c. &c. Marshals Lacy's .and
Laudon's regiments were on the ground, as well
as some fine Hungarian regiments and the Em-
peror's Hungarian and Polish Guards, who made
a magnificent appearance. To me it was en-
chantment. Our barouche was within view of the
Emperor; and he sent one of his Aides-de-camp
to us, to order the carnage to be drawn up nearer
to himself.

At the close of the review, he rode up to us,
and said, " Has not this been a fine sight ? this

MICHAEL KELLY.

place is my stage ; here I am the first actor.1' And
when General O'Kavanagh's regiment passed be-
fore him, with their colonel at their head, he

j /

condescended to say to me, " Look there, GTKelly ;
look, there goes your countryman O'Kavanagh,
and a fine old soldier he is !" I never spent a
more delightful day than that, which never has
been effaced from my recollection.

Three delicious months did we pass at Luxem-
burgh, living in luxury and pleasure: at the end
of which the Emperor returned to Vienna, and we
received orders to follow him.

The theatre was opened immediately after our
arrival. I was situated in every respect to ray
heart's content, living a life of gaiety and pleasure ;
and, thanks to the kindness and patronage of Sir
Robert Keith, mixed with the best English so-
ciety. A Mr. Stratton, a native of Scotland,
who was Secretary to the British Embass}", ' was
also kindly attentive to me. At Sir Robert's I
often had the honour of meeting the young Polish
Prince Poniatowski, then in the service of Joseph
the Second ; he was remarkable for his elegance of
manner and riding, and great partiality to almost
unmanageable horses. I received many marks of
friendship from him ; he entered subsequently
into the service of Buonaparte, and was unfortu-
nately drowned in fording a river.

£46 REMINISCENCES OF

At this period of my life I was rather vain, and
very fond of fine clothes ; indeed, my greatest ex-
pense was the decoration of my precious person.
I wore every evening, full dress embroidered coats,
either gold, silver, or silk. I wore two watches
(as was the custom of the country), and a diamond
ring on each of my little fingers; thus decked
out, I had not of course the least appearance of
a Paddy. While sitting one evening in the Milan
coffee-house, reading the Vienna Gazette, two gen-
tlemen entered, and seated themselves opposite to
me to take their coffee. One of them said to the
other, with a most implacable Irish brogue, " Arrah,
blood and thunder ! hike at that fellow sitting
opposite to us (meaning me) ; did you ever see such
a jackdaw ?"

" Really," answered his companion (who I per-
ceived was an Englishman), " the fellow does not
seem to be on bad terms with himself.""

" Look at his long lace ruffles,0 said my coun-
tryman ; " I suppose he wears ruffles, to mark his
gentility."

I continued reading my gazette ; but when
the critique upon my long lace ruffles was ended,
I laid down the paper, and tucked them up
under the cuffs of my coat, not looking at the
gentlemen, or seeming to take any notice of
them.

MICHAEL KELLY. 247

" But now do luke" continued the persevering
brogueneer ; " what a display he is making of his
rings ; I suppose he thinks he will dazzle our eyes
a bit."

Upon this, I deliberately took off my rings, and
put them into my pocket ; at the same time fixing
a steady look at my critics, I told them, in English,
that " If there were any other part of my dress
at all disagreeable to them, I should have the
greatest pleasure in altering it in any way they
might suggest.""

The Irishman (improbable as it may appear)
blushed ; and the Englishman said, " He hoped I
would not feel an offence, where none was meant.1
I said, " Certainly not ;" and to prove my sincerity,
requested them to take part of a bowl of punch,
and drink our Sovereign King George^s health,
and towards our better acquaintance ; and thus, in
despite, of laced ruffles and diamond rings, we intro-
duced ourselves to one another.

My Irish friend, I found, was a Doctor CTRourke,
from the county of Down, who had only the day
before arrived from Prague, where he had been for
many years a medical practitioner ; and, in my
new English acquaintance, I had the pleasure to
find the eccentric Walking Stewart, so named
from having walked almost all over the world,

248 REMINISCENCES OF

and whose pedestrian exploits were universally
spoken of.

After taking our punch, we separated, and
agreed to meet and dine together the next day
at the French house, kept by the famous Monsieur
Villar, celebrated, though a Frenchman, for
giving excellent beef steaks, and dressing them to
perfection a VAnglaise. Stewart, though a great
oddity, was a well-informed, accomplished man ;
a true lover of the arts and sciences, and of a
most retentive memory. The last little walk he
had taken was from Calais, through France, Italy,
and the Tyrol, to Vienna, and in a few days
he was going to extend it as far as Constanti-
nople. He was partial to most things in Eng-
land, except the climate ; he said, " Sir, I am
perfectly of opinion with Addison, that, in na-
ture, there is nothing more inconstant than the
British climate, except the humour of its in-
habitants."

He was a great enthusiast about music, al-
though not about beef steaks ; for, of the most
tender, and dressed in Monsieur Villar"s best man-
ner, he 'would not touch a morsel; he lived entirely
upon vegetables : but my friend, the Irish Doctor,
was in truth a beef-eater.

In a few days Stewart left us to take his saun-

MICHAEL KELLY. 24-9

lering walk to Constantinople, and I very much
regretted the loss of his society ; but, as the doctor
had come to reside at Vienna, we passed :&? good
deal of our time together.

I had the pleasure, about this time, to be intro-
duced to Monsieur Martini. He was a very old
man. His sister, nearly his own age, kept his
house for him. She was reckoned a deep blu.J,
and very well versed in all the arts and scien:
The great poet Metasiasio had lived sixty year*
in her brother's house, upon the most friendly
terms, and died in it. The colleges of Bologna
and Pavia gave her the title of Dottoressa ; and
deputations came from both those places, with her
diploma. When I was admitted to her conversa-
ziones and musical parties, she was in the vale of

** flJ

years, yet still possessed the gaiety and vivacivy of
a girl, and was polite and affable to all. Mozart
was an almost constant attendant at her parties, and
I have heard him play duets on the piano-forte
with her, of his own composition. She was a great
favourite of his.

At one of her parties I had the pleasure to Tie
introduced to Mrs. Piozzi, who, with her husband,
was travelling on the Continent ; there appeared to
ine a great similarity in the manners of tlies;? t^u
gifted women, who conversed with all a ound
them without pedantry, or affectation. It was

250 REMINISCENCES OF

certainly an epoch, not to be forgotten, to have
had the good fortune, on the same evening, to be
in company with the favourites of Metastasio
and Dr. Johnson ; and last, not least, with Mozart
himself.

There was a very excellent company of German
singers at the Canatore Theatre; it was more
spacious than the Imperial Court Theatre. The
first female singer was Madame Lange, wife to the
excellent comedian of that name, and sister to
Madame Mozart. She was a wonderful favourite,
and deservedly so ; she had a greater extent of
high notes than any other singer I ever heard.
The songs which Mozart composed for her in
" L'Enlevement du Serail,"" shew what a compass of
voice she had; her execution was most brilliant.
Stephen Storace told me it was far beyond that of
Bastardini, who was engaged to sing at the Pan-
theon in London, and who, for each night of her
performance of two songs, received one hundred
guineas, an enormous sum at that time ; and (com-
paratively speaking) more than two hundred at the
present day*.

* Storace was then a boy, studying music under his father,
who gave him a bravura song of Bastardini's to copy. Storace
was so astonished that fifty guineas should be paid for singing a
song, that he counted the notes in it, and calculated the amount
of each note at 4s. Wd. He valued one of the divisions running

MICHAEL KELLY,

A number of foreign Princes, among whom were
the Due de Deux Fonts, the Elector of Bavaria,
&c., with great retinues, came to visit the Emperor,
who, upon this occasion, signified his wish to have
two grand serious operas, both the composition of
Chevalier Gluck, — " L' Iphigenia in Tauride,''
and " L' Alceste," produced under the direction of
the composer; and gave orders that no expense
should be spared to give them every effect.

Gluck was then living at Vienna, where he had
retired, crowned with professional honours, and a
splendid fortune, courted and caressed by all ranks,
and in his seventy-fourth year.

L' Iphigenia was the first opera to be produced,
and Gluck was to make his choice of the performers
in it. Madame Bernasconi was one of the first
serious singers of the day, — to her was appropriated
the part of Iphigenia. The celebrated tenor, Adem-
berger, performed the part of Orestes, finely. To
me was allotted the character of Pylades, which
created no small envy among those performers who
thought themselves better entitled to the part than
myself, and perhaps they were right ; — however, I
had it, and also the high gratification of being in-
structed in the part by the composer himself.

up and down at .£.18 11s. It was a whimsical thing for a boy
to do, but perfectly in character; his passion for calculation
was beyond all belief, except to those who witnessed it.

EEMINISCENCES OF

One morning, after I had been singing with him,
he said, " Follow me up stairs, Sir, arid I will in-
troduce you to one, whom, all my life, I have made
my study, and endeavoured to imitate."" I followed
him into his bed-room, and, opposite to the head
of the bed, saw a full-length picture of Handel, in
a rich frame. " There, Sir," said he, " is the por-
trait of the inspired master of our art ; when I open
my eyes in the morning, I look upon him with
reverential awe, and acknowledge him as such ; and
the highest praise is due to your country for having
distinguished and cherished his gigantic genius.

L' Iphigem'a was soon put into rehearsal, and a
corps de ballet engaged for the incidental dances
belonging to the piece. The ballet-master was
Monsieur De Camp, the uncle of that excellent
actress, and accomplished and deserving woman,
Mrs. Charles Kemble. Gluck superintended the
rehearsals, with his powdered wig, and gold-headed
cane ; the orchestra and choruses were augmented,
and all the parts were well filled.

The second opera was Alceste, which was got
up with magnificence and splendour, worthy an
Imperial Court.

For describing the strongest passions in music,
and proving grand dramatic effect, in my opinion,
no man ever equalled Gluck — lie was a great
painter of music; perhaps the expression is far

MICHAEL KELLY. 253

fetched, and may not be allowable, but I speak
from my own feelings, and the sensation his de-
scriptive music always produced on me. For
example, I never could hear, without tears, the
dream of Orestes, in Iphigenia : when in sleep, he
prays the gods to give a ray of peace to the parri-
cide Orestes. What can be more expressive of
-deep and dark despair? — And the fine chorus of
the demons who surround his couch, with the ghost
of his mother, produced in me a feeling of horror,
mixed with delight.

Dr. Burney (no mean authority) said, Gluck
was the Michael Angelo of living composers, and
called him the simplifying musician. Salieri told
me, that a comic opera of -Gluck's being performed
at the Elector Palatine's theatre, at Schwetzingen,
his Electoral Highness was struck with the music,
and inquired who had composed it ; on being in-
formed that he was an honest German who loved
old wine, his Highness immediately ordered him a
tun of Hock.

Paesiellofs Barbiere di Siviglia, which he com-
posed in Russia, and brought with him to Vienna,
was got up ; Signer Mandini and I played the part
of Count Alma viva alternately ; Storace was the
ilosina. There were three operas now on the tapis,
< • le by Regini, another by Salieri (the Grotto of
Trophonius), and one by Mozart, by special com-

REMINISCENCES OF

mand of the Emperor. Mozart chose to have
Beaumarchais" French comedy, *; Le Mariage de
Figaro," made into an Italian opera, which was
done with great ability, by Da Ponte. These three
pieces were nearly ready for representation at the
same time, and each composer claimed the right of
producing his opera for the first. The contest
raised much discord, and parties were formed.
The characters of the three men were all very dif-
ferent. Mozart was as touchy as gunpowder, and
swore he would put the score of his opera into the
fire, if it was not produced first ; his claim was
backed by a strong party : on the contrary, Regini
was working like a mole in the dark to get pre-
cedence.

The third candidate was Maestro di Cappella to
the Court, a clever shrewd man, possessed of what
Bacon called, crooked wisdom ; and his claims were
backed by three of the principal performers, who
formed a cabal not easily put down. Every one of
the opera company took part in the contest. I
alone was a stickler for Mozart, and naturally
enough, for he had a claim on my warmest wishes,
from my adoration of his powerful genius, and the
debt of gratitude I owed him, for many personal
favours.

The mighty contest was put an end to by His
Majesty issuing a mandate for Mozart's " Nozze

MICHAEL KELLY 255

di Figaro," to be instantly put into rehearsal ; and
none more than Michael O'Kelly, enjoyed the little
great man's triumph over his rivals.

Of all the performers in this opera at that time,
but one survives, — myself. It was allowed that
never was opera stronger cast. I have seen it per-
formed at different periods in other countries, and
well too, but no more to compare with its original
performance than light is to darkness. All the
original performers had the advantage of the in-
struction of the composer, who transfused into
their minds his inspired meaning. I never shall
forget his little animated countenance, when lighted
up with the glowing rays of genius ; — it is as im-
possible to describe it, as it would be to paint sun-
beams.

I called on him one evening ; he said to me? " I
have just finished a little duet for my opera, you
shall hear it." He sat down to the piano, and we
sang it. I was delighted with it, and the musical
world will give me credit for being so, when I men-
tion the duet, sung by Count Almaviva and Susan,
" Crudel perche finora farmi languire cosi." A
more delicious morceau never was penned by man ;
and it has often been a source of pleasure to me,
to have been the first who heard it, and to have
sung it with its greatly-gifted composer. I re-
member at the first rehearsal of the full band,

256 REMINISCENCES OF

Mozart was on the stage with his crimson pelisse
and gold-laced cocked hat, giving the time of the
music to the orchestra. Figaro's song, " Non piii
andrai, farfallone amoroso," Bennuci gave, with the
greatest animation and power of voice. \\fo Q7

I was standing close to Mozart, who, sotto voce,
was repeating, Bravo ! Bravo ! Bennuci ; and when
Bennuci came to the fine passage, " Cherubino, alia
vittoria, alia gloria militar," which he gave out with
Stentorian lungs, the effect was electricity itself,
for the whole of the performers on the stage, and
those in the orchestra, as if actuated by one feeling
of delight, vociferated Bravo ! Bravo ! Maestro-
Viva, viva, grande Mozart. Those in the orchestra
I thought would never have ceased applauding,
by beating the bows of their violins against the
music desks. The little man acknowledged, by
repeated obeisances, his thanks for the distin-
guished mark of enthusiastic applause bestowed
upon him. jn

The same meed of approbation was given to the
finale at the end of the first act; that piece of music
alone, in my humble opinion, if he h:id never com-
posed any thing else good, would have stan:
him as the greatest master of his art. In the
tetto, in the second act, (which was Mozart'*
favourite piece of the whole opera,) I had a V.TV
conspicuous part, as the Stuttering Judge.

MICHAEL KELLY. 257

through the piece I was to stutter; but in the

;

sestetto, Mozart requested I would not, for if I did,
I should spoil his music. I told him, that although
it might appear very presumptuous in a lad like
me to differ with him on this point, I did ; and was
sure, the way in which I intended to introduce the
stuttering, would not interfere with the other parts,
but produce an effect ; besides, it certainly was not
in nature, that I should stutter all through the
part, and when I came to the sestetto, speak plain .
and after that piece of music was over, return to
stuttering ; and, I added, (apologising at the same
time, for my apparent want of deference and respect
in placing my opinion in opposition to that of the
great Mozart,) that unless I was allowed to per-
form the part as I wished, I would not perform it
at all.

Mozart at last consented that I should have my
own way, but doubted t^e success of the experi-
ment. Crowded houses proved that nothing ever on
the stage produced a more powerful effect ; the
audience were convulsed with laughter, in which
Mozart himself joined. The Emperor repeatedly
cried out Bravo ! and the piece was loudly applauded
and encbred. When the opera was over, Mozart
came on the stage to me, and shaking me by both
.hands, said, "Bravo! young man, I feel obliged
to you ; and acknowledge you to have been in the

258 REMINISCENCES OF

right, and myself in the wrong." There was cer-
tainly a risk run, but I felt within myself I could
give the effect I wished, and the event proved that
I was not mistaken.

I have seen the opera in London, and elsewhere,
and never saw the Judge pourtrayed as a stutterer,
and the scene was often totally omitted. I played
it as a stupid old man, though at the time I was a
beardless stripling. At the end of the opera, I
thought the audience would never have done ap-
plauding and calling for Mozart ; almost every
piece was encored, which prolonged it nearly to the
length of two operas, and induced the Emperor to
issue an order, on the second representation, that no
piece of music should be encored. Never was any
thing more complete than the triumph of Mozart,
and his " Nozze di Figaro," to which numerous
overflowing audiences bore witness *.

One morning, while we were rehearsing in the
grand saloon of the palace, His Majesty, accom-
panied by Prince Rosenberg, entered the saloon,
and addressing himself to Storace, Mandini, and
Bennuci, said, " I dare say, you are all pleased,

* I was not aware, at that time, of what I have since found to
be the fact, that those who labour under the defect of stuttering
while speaking, articulate distinctly in singing. That excellent
bass, Sedgwick, was an instance of it ; and the beautiful Mrs.
Inchbald, the authoress, another.

MICHAEL KELLY. 259

thafe I have desired there shall be no more encores ;
to have your songs so often repeated, must be a
great fatigue, and very distressing to you." Storace
replied, " It is indeed, Sire, very distressing, very
much so ;" the other two bowed, as if they were of
the same opinion. I was close to His Majesty, and
said boldly to him, " Do not believe them, Sire,
they all like to be encored, at least I am sure I
always do." His Majesty laughed, and I believe
he thought there was more truth in my assertion,
than in theirs. I am sure there was.

In the midst of all this gaiety and splendour, I
received a letter from my father in Dublin, stating,
that my mother was in a declining state of health,
and that it was her earnest wish, that I should
return to Dublin, if only for a few months ; at the
same time I got a letter from Mr. Linley, to say,
that he and Mr. Sheridan would be very happy to
treat with me for Drury Lane Theatre ; that Stephen
Storace would be soon at Vienna, and that he would
have a carte blanche to close an engagement with
me, on their parts. I confess, I had a great desire
to see my mother ; but for the present it was out
of the question, as it was the very height of the
season.

In the summer, the Emperor went to Luxem-
burgh ; and I, with the other performers of the
Italian opera, was of course obliged to follow :

260 REMINISCENCES OF

we remained there three months, in the usual
enjoyment of every thing pleasant and luxurious;
nothing of any particular interest occurred, and at
the close of the summer, we again returned to our
post at Vienna.

In the Spring of 1787, there was a great number
of English at Vienna; amongst whom, where Lord
Belgrave, now the Earl of Grosvenor^ with his
tutor, Mr. Gilford, one of the greatest ornaments
of the literary world : Lord Bernard, now Earl of
Darlington ; Lord Dungarvon, now Earl of Cork ;
Lord de Clifford ; Lord Carberry ; Earl of Craw-
ford ; Sir John Sebright ; Colonel Lennox ; Mr.
Dawkins ; Mr. John Spencer ; and many other
fashionables ; who were all young and full of viva-
city— perhaps rather too lively to suit the temper of
the phlegmatic Germans, who never heard of such a
thing among themselves as a row ; but at this
period, they were initiated. The English noblemen
and gentlemen formed themselves into a club, took
a house in the Grauben Street, and generally dined
together. I had often the honour of dining with

<> o

them, and will venture to say, there were more corks
drawn at one of their dinners, than during the same
day all over Germany. There was another place
frequented by many of them after the opera was
over, which was neither more nor less than a grocer's
shop in the same street. This grocer was supposed

MICHAEL KELLY. 261

to have the finest champagne and hock in the coun-
try ; I was his constant visitor. Behind the shop
was a room, where he admitted a chosen few, but it
was not open to the public. There we always found
excellent Parmasan cheese, anchovies, olives, and
oysters. No table cloth was allowed, but each per-
son had a large piece of brown paper presented to
him by way of napkin. ,!«,$

I wish I had now in my cellar the excellent wines
I have seen, during my sojourn at Vienna, drank in
that room. Every thing was good except the oysters,
which were somewhat of- the stalest ; none could be
procured nearer than Trieste, which was so far from
Vienna, that they never arrived sweet; — but the
Germans liked them just as well when stale. ^

I heard an anecdote, which I was assured was
authentic, of King George the First, touching
oysters. When His Majesty went from Hanover
to England, the Royal Purveyor having heard
that the King was very fond of oysters, had a
dish put down every day ; of course, they were
the finest that could be procured, but the King
did not like them. This being mentioned to one
of the pages who went over with him from Ha-
nover, he told the Purveyor that the King did
not find the same relishing' taste in the English
oysters, which he admired so much in those which
he had in Hanover. — " Endeavour," said the

REMINISCENCES OF

courtier, " to get His Majesty some that are
stale, and you will find he will like them.1' — The
experiment was tried, and actually succeeded, for
His Majesty constantly ate them, and said they
were delicious.

Several of the English gentlemen wished to
introduce horse-racing. The Emperor kindly
consented to their having any piece of ground
near Vienna that they chose ; and they fixed upon
a spot in the Prater. They were to ride their
own matches. I perfectly recollect that the Earl
of Darlington, Earl Grosvenor, Lord Carberry,
Lord de Clifford, and Sir John Sebright, &c.
were the riders. It wras quite a novel spectacle
to the good people of Vienna, — and gentle and
simple, high and low, crowded to the Prater to
see my Lord Anglais turned jockey. The peo-
ple seemed enchanted. The Emperor ordered
his Polish Guards to keep the ground, that the
riders might meet with no interruption ; every
thing was order and regularity, and the day
passed off, to the content and enjoyment of all
parties.

Stephen Storace at length arrived at Vienna
from England, and brought with him an engage-
ment for his sister, from Gallini, the manager of
the Opera House in London, as prima donna for
the comic opera. Her engagement at Vienna was to

MICHAEL KELLY. £65

iinish after the ensuing carnival, and she accepted
it ; and I wished much to accompany her, and go
to Dublin to see my family. I procured an
audience of the Emperor at Sehoenbrunn. I found
him with half-a-dozen General Officers, among
whom were Generals CTDonnell and Kavanagh, my
gallant countrymen ; the latter said something to
me in Irish, which I did not understand, conse-
quently, made him no answer. The Emperor
turned quickly on me, and said, " What, O'Kelly,
don't you speak the language of your own coun-
try ?" — I replied, " Please your Majesty, none
but the lowrer orders of the Irish people speak
Irish." The Emperor laughed loudly. The im-
propriety of the remark, made before two Milesian
Generals, in an instant flashed into my mind, and
I could have bit my tongue off. They luckily
did not, or pretended not to hear my unintentionally
rude observation, — it was, it must be confessed, a
most unlucky impromptu.

I told His Majesty that I came to implore, after
the approaching Carnival, His Royal leave of ab-
sence, to go and see my .mother, in Dublin, for six
months. He replied, " Six months will not be
sufficient, take twelve, and your salary shall be
continued for that period; — I will give the ne-
cessary orders to Prince Rosenberg." I asked per-
mission to perform in London for a few

REMINISCENCES OF

if I found it my interest to do so. " Certainly,"
he replied, " you are right to make the best use
of your time and talents; accept of any engage-
ment that may be conducive to your interest, and
if you do not better yourself, come back to my
theatre, and you shall be received." He further
condescended to ask me how I intended travel-
ling, and pointed out the best roads and accom-
modations between Vienna and Paris. I had
the honour of kissing his hand, and returnee! to
Vienna.

I remember that night a singular incident oc-
cured to me. — At the Ridotto Rooms, there was
some play going forward. I never in the course
of my life, had been addicted to that fashion-
able amusement, but, on that unlucky evening,
rebellion lay in my way, and I found it. I lost
forty zecchinos to a gallant English Colonel ; I
had only twenty about me, which I paid, and
promised to pay the other twenty in the course
of the week. I went home to bed, repenting of
my folly.

In the moraine, Nancy Storace called on me.

o ' »

— " So, Sir," said she, " I hear you were gam-
bling last night, and not only lost all the money
you had about you, but are still in debt — such
debts ought not to be left unsatisfied a moment ;
you may one day or other go to England, and.

MICHAEL KELLY. 265

should the transaction of your playing for more
money than you possessed become known among
Englishmen, it might give you a character which
I know you do not deserve ; — it must be settled
directly." Sne instantly produced the money,
and made me go and discharge the obligation.
Such an act of well-timed, disinterested friend-
ship was noble, and never has been forgotten
by me.

About two months after this, an unlucky cir-
cumstance happened to me, which might have
marred all my future prospects in life. A young
Bohemian officer, of high rank, in the Imperial
service, chose to take it into his head that I had
supplanted him in the affections of the Countess

of S- . Though I assured him to the contrary,

he did every thing in his power to degrade and
injure me. He condescended to have me watched,
go where I would; — and even bribed my own
servant to betray my secrets. Heedless of me-
naces and threats, however, I went my own way.

One night, after having played the part of the
Cavalier, in Paesiello's opera of " La Fraseatana,"
I slipped off my coat, keeping on the rest of my
theatrical dress, threw my pelisse over me, and went
to supper at the house of a friend. The opera
finished at a later hour than usual, and the enter-
tainment at my friend's house was prolonged till

VOL. i. N

266 REMINISCENCES OF

between four and five in the morning. At the
time I set out to return, it was rather dark, but
I could perceive two men following me ; when I
"was turning round the Italian Street, they came
behind me, and pushed me against a wall. They
were muffled up in cloaks ; — in one of them I re-
cognised Count U , and in the other, his com-
panion, Baron S , an officer in the same re-
giment. I asked them to let me pass, in the
Emperor's name, in whose service I was, as well
as themselves. The reply was, " No, scoundrel !
until you confess the justice of my suspicions,
you shall not escape me ,with life." I firmly
persisted in not having the slightest knowledge
of the lady in question. The Baron said, " You
lie, you rascal ;" and struck me in the face. On
receiving the blow, I returned it with such force,
as made my opponent reel backwards from me.
Finding myself at liberty, I seized the opportunity,
and took to my heels, thinking my life was only
to be saved by flight.

I had not ran far, before I was met by the police,
who patrolled the streets every night; who, pre-
senting their swords to my breast, commanded me
to stop, — while my pursuers were close at my heels,
ready to cut me down with their sabres. These
two gallant officers represented me to the police as a
robber ; and the guardians of the night were in the

MICHAEL KELLY.

act of dragging me to the guard-house, but, in
doing so, they pulled open my pelisse, and saw the
richly embroidered dress in which I had been
acting. I had my two watches in my pocket, and my
diamond rings on my fingers. On perceiving these,
one of the policemen said to the other, — " This
cannot be a thief." — I informed them that I was a
singer belonging to the Court, and requested them
to conduct me to my lodgings, where they would
find that I was telling them the truth. I wished,
from principles of delicacy, to compromise the
affair, in which the reputation of an individual
was concerned ; but my heroic opponents (who still
followed me), swore they would be the first to
publish the whole transaction, and though I had
escaped them now, revenge they would have some
other time, and that then I should bite the dust.
I told them that, " finding they were dead to all
sense of honour, I should prevent all their attacks
as assassins; but I was perfectly ready, notwith-
standing their cowardly conduct, to meet them as
men." Full of bluster and threats, they took their
departure, and the police conducted me in safety to
my apartments, for which I amply rewarded them.
The first visit I had, on the following day, was
from my friend Dr. O'Rourke, who informed me
that he was told of the whole transaction of the night

268 REMINISCENCES OF

before at the Military Coffee-house, and that,
before four and twenty hours elapsed, my life
would atone for my conduct. The Doctor begged
me, by all means, to wait upon my kind friend
and patron, Marshal Lacy ; upon Prince Charles
Lichtenstein, Governor of Vienna. Those exalted
persons advised me, by all means, to lay the whole
transaction before the Emperor ; and Prince Lich-
tenstein promised he would prepare His Majesty
for the recital.

As the Emperor was free of access to all, I
sought an audience, and was honoured with the
following gracious reception: — " So, CTKelly,"
said His Majesty, " I hear that a disagreeable
circumstance bcfel you last night. Prince Lichten-
stein has told me all about it. I do not wish to
hear anv thing about the lady, keep that in your
own breast ; and, upon that point, you have acted as
a man of honour : I only want to know from your-
self how the quarrel began with my officers."

I related the whole of the circumstances as they

•/

occurred, except one. The Emperor assured me I
should have full satisfaction, and gave directions for
the two heroes to be sent for. They were brought
before him, and he inquired of them how they had
dared to violate the laws. The Count said that I
was the aggressor, by standing in the way of his

MICHAEL KELLY. 269

pretensions to a lady for whom he had conceived an
affection, which, but for such interference, would, in
all probability, be returned.

The Emperor, to the best of my recollection,
made the following remarks verbatim : — " So, Sir,
because you love a lady, to whom you are indif-
ferent, you think you are justified in behaving ill to
those on whom she chooses to bestow her attention*:
— my laws, Sir, are not to be sacrificed to your
malice, nor is the honour of my army to be sullied
by any man who chooses to act in a manner unworthy
of his rank. The duty of my officers is not only
to keep peace themselves, but to preserve it invio-
late against the attempts of others. What you both
have done will justly stigmatize you in the eyes of
the whole army. On my highway you attacked
this young man, whose life you had meanly sought,
at a moment when he was unarmed, and with odds,
which baffled his making resistance."

They attempted to justify their conduct by
obser.uig, that they should degrade their birth
and rank in society, by suffering themselves to be
imposed on by a player, whom they considered so
much beneath them. The Emperor said, " The
player whom you affect to despise is a man of
honour; but, as for you, you have acted like
assassins, and, from this moment, I consider you
unworthy to continue in my service ; I shall

270 REMINISCENCES OF

therefore give orders for removing you from
the army." The next day they were publicly
degraded.

The whole of the above, nearly as I have
written it, was inserted in all the public prints, and
circulated throughout Germany.

I had the pleasure to hear from all quarters that
the Emperor's decision was hailed as an act of jus-
tice; and the first night I afterwards appeared
on the stage, I was received with repeated plaudits,
which implied, I flattered myself, that the audience
generally approved of my conduct.

The Carnival was now fast approaching. I
informed Stephen Storace of the leave of absence
I had obtained from the Emperor, and that I would
accompany him and his sister, and mother, to
London, at the close of the festival, and that he
might let the proprietors of Drury Lane know, that
I should be ready to try my fortune at their theatre
about the beginning of April, but that I would not
stipulate for any fixed terms : — those, I told him, I
would arrange upon my arrival in London, and I
had no doubt but we should agree.

The Carnival was kept with more than common
splendour. Vienna was crowded with foreigners
of all nations, and a number of British, in addition
to those I made mention of. The ridotto balls
were fully attended, and all was revelry and plea,-

MICHAEL KELLY. 271

sure. The English were particularly respected
and beloved — but, alas ! there were some half-dozen
amongst them (who 'shall be nameless) who occa-
sionally sacrificed to the jolly god, and, when heated
with wine, would sally out into the street and shew
a great inclination to encourage the trade of lamp-
mending^ which, one night, they did so effectually,
that they did not leave a lamp unbroken in the
Grauben-street, or the street adjoining.

The art of lamp-smashing wa^ not understood
by the unaccomplished young men of Vienna, and
great was their wonder and dismay that they should
have lived so long in a state of ignorance ; but
the police, not wishing to have the science cultivated
amongst their countrymen, intimated to the pro-
fessors of the novel art that they must pay for what
they had demolished, or, upon a repetition of their
valorous exploits, they should be sent to prison.

I was very sorry that the affair happened,
although not more than half a dozen were concerned
in it ; for, with this exception, no set of gentlemen
could have conducted themselves with greater
propriety. It was understood, however, that the
Emperor was very much displeased, and had given
orders, that the first person found committing
any breach of the peace, should be put into con-
finement.

Four days before my departure for England, a
little contre temps had nearly broken up our tra-

REMINISCENCES OF

veiling arrangements. We were supping at -the
Ridotto Rooms, and my poor friend, Stephen
Storace, who was proverbially a sober man, and
who had a strong head for every thing but drink-
ing, had swallowed potent libations of sparkling
Champagne, which rendered him rather confused.
He went into the ball-room, and saw his sister
dancing with an officer in uniform, booted and
spurred. In twirling round while waltzing, his
spurs got entangled in Storace's dress, and both she
and the officer came to the ground, to the great
amusement of the by-standers. Stephen, thinking
his sister had been intentionally insulted, com-
menced personal hostilities against the officer :
a great bustle ensued, which was ended by half
a dozen policemen seizing Storace, and dragging
him to the guard-house, to which several English
gentlemen followed him. The officer of the guard
was very good-natured, and allowed us to send
for some eatables and Champagne ; — we remained
with him all night, and a jovial night we had. In
the morning we departed, but Storace was obliged
to tarry in durance vile till further orders. He was
not, however, the least discomfited; he thought of
the Italian proverb, as he told me, —

" Non andera sempre cosi ; come diceva
II piccolo cane, qnando menava
II rosto, alia fine la came sara cuccitta.'*

MICHAEL KELLY.

I was determined to make a bold push to get him
released in the evening. — I placed myself in the
corridor through which the Emperor passed after
his dinner to his study, He saw me, and said,
" Why, CTIvelly, I thought you were off for
England ?" — " I can't go, Sire," was my answer ;
" my friend, who was to travel with me, was last
night put into prison." I then told His Majesty
who it was, and how it happened. — He laughed at
the tipsy composer's wanting to fight, and said, " I
am very sorry for Storace, for he is a man of great
talent; but I regret to observe that some of your
English gentry who travel, appear much altered
from what they used to be. Formerly, they
travelled after they had quitted College, — it ap-
pears to me that now they travel before they go
to it." His Majesty then left me, saying, " Bon
voyage, O'Kelly, — I shall give directions that
Storace may be set at liberty."

The next morning he was liberated. I waited
upon my kind patron, Sir Robert Keith, Marshals
Lacy and Laudon, and all those friends who had
honoured me with their hospitality and protection.
I went to take leave of the immortal Mo/art, and
his charming wife and family ; he gave me a letter
to his father, Leopold Mozart, who was at die
Court of Saltzbourg. I could hardly tear myself
away from him; and, at parting, we both shed

274 REMINISCENCES Of

tears. Indeed, the memory of the many happy
days which I passed at Vienna will never be
effaced from my mind.

In the first week of February 1787, I quitted
it with a heart full of grief and gratitude. Storace,
her mother, her brother, Attwood, and myself, not
forgetting Signora Storace's lap-dog, filled the tra-
velling carriage, and with four horses we started for
England Ho !

Were I to recount the desagremens of a Ger-
man journey, my task would be endless. I shall
therefore content myself with mentioning the
different places at which we stopped : the first,
worthy of observation, was Saltzbourg, which would
be celebrated, if for nothing else, as the birth-place
of Mozart, who was born there in the year 1756.
As I viewed its lofty spires from a distance, I felt
a kind of reverential awe. The morning after our
arrival, escorted by a lacquais de place, I waited
upon Mozart's father, and delivered his son's
letter. I found him a pleasing, intelligent little
man ; he called upon Signora Storace, and offered
to be our guide to every thing worth noticing ;
he was, as I have before mentioned, in the
service of the reigning Sovereign, the Arch-
bishop, who was passionately fond of music, and a
distinguished amateur ; he had also in his service
Michael Haydn, brother of the celebrated Haydn,

MICHAEL KELLY. 275

who was by many competent judges reckoned even
superior to his brother in the composition of church
music. Saltzbourg is well built : the Archbishop's
palace is positively magnificent ; in the area before
it is a fountain, esteemed the largest in Germany.

I was taken to see another palace, belonging to
the Archbishop, called Mirabella, where there is
a beautiful garden: we were told that twenty
thousand oranges were annually gathered from the
trees in His Holiness's orangery. The riding-school
is a noble structure ; the Archbishop was said to
be particularly fond of horses ; his stud, at the
time I speak of, consisted of two hundred; his
income was calculated at half a million sterling.
The cathedral is a superb building : the inhabitants
of the city have a most whimsical custom (I
mean those who have the means of satisfying their
caprice) ; when in good health and spirits they fix
on their future burial-places, and having selected
snug and suitable spots, have their portraits painted,
and placed over their graves ; to me it seemed as if
this absurdity could not be surpassed.

The Archbishop sent one of his attendants to
invite Signora Storace and her party to hear a
concert at his palace; we felt ourselves highly
honoured, and, of course, went. The Archbishop
was a very fine looking man, particularly galant
and attentive to the ladies, of whom there was a

276 REMINISCENCES OF

splendid show ; it was conceived that he was very
partial to the English, and English manners. The
music was chiefly instrumental, admirably per-
formed ; the band numerous and excellent.

After the concert we returned to supper at our
inn, and after supper got into our carriage to
continue our journey ; but of all the roads I ever
travelled, the Archbishop's was the worst; I was
jolted to a jelly, and so initated, that when we got
to the barrier, and were stopped to have our pass-
ports examined, I said to the centinel, " Comrade,
it would be much better if your Archbishop, instead
of spending so much money upon music, would
appropriate part of it to mending his ways.1' This
ill-timed observation, which I confess was rather
ungracious on my part, did not seem to please the
centinel ; however, he let us pass, merely mutter-
ing, that the English had more money than man-
ners. Stephen Storace, in a well-timed moment,
slipped a florin into his hand, which soothed the
Cerberus, and made me think, with Macheath. that
" money, well-timed, and properly applied, will do
any thing."

Nothing can exceed the beauty of the country
between Saltzbourg and Munich; it is rich by
nature, and highly cultivated. We arrived in due
time at Munich, the capital of the Electorate of
Bavaria, and put up at the best inn, where I had

MICHAEL KELLY. 277

the pleasure to find Lord Bernard stopping, on his
way to England. I had been gratified by meeting
his Lordship at Vienna, where his affability and
elegance of manner had gained him the esteem and
respect of those who had the honour of his ac-
quaintance. As all our party were known to his
Lordship, he invited us to dine with him ; he

had an English landau, and travelled with one
&

servant only. As he, like ourselves, was going
to Paris, he proposed that we should all travel
together, and that he would give a seat in his
carriage to one of us, " turn and turn about,"" as

the phrase goes ; we were flattered by the proposal,

i i • .

and accepted it.

We agreed to remain at Munich three or four

days, to see the lions. We went over the Elector's
palace, a magnificent building, consisting of several
galleries, furnished superbly, and abounding with
paintings, statues, &c. &c. ; the chamber of the
Elector, we were told, cost above one hundred
thousand pounds : it contained a profusion of velvets,
gold tissue, and old-fashioned carved work ; the bed
was immense, groaning with splendour ; the great
staircase is of marble and gold ; from the garden of
the palace we were shewn a secret passage, leading
to the churches and convents of the town. The
streets are regular and broad, and most of the
houses painted on the outside ; the market place is

278 REMINISCENCES OF

extremely beautiful. We were taken to see the
Niemptenburg palace. The gardens are laid out
with great taste ; in one of the avenues, I remem-
ber Attwood and myself ran a race, and I won it ;
at that time I was as light as a feathered mer-
cury ; but alas ! " non sum quails eram"

The country around this spot is pretty, and the
public baths excellent. The Storaces and myself, by
appointment, went to pay our respects to Raff, the
justly celebrated tenor, esteemed by far the finest
singer of his day, and for many years the delight
of Naples and Palermo. He was by birth a Bava-
rian, and had retired to Munich with an ample
fortune; he was past seventy, and did us the
favour to sing to us his famous song, composed by
Bach, " Non so donde vlene ,•" though his voice
was impaired, he still retained his fine voce di
petto and sostenuto notes, and pure style of
singing.

While staying at Munich, we were asked to
assist at a grand concert, at which the Elector, the
Electress, and their Court were present ; the band
consisted of several eminent performers, among
whom was the famous violin player, Frantzl, who
performed a concerto in a masterly manner ; and a
most excellent female singer of the name of Dussek ;
and the next morning we set off for Augsbourg.

Lord Bernard's avant-courier was taken so ill

MICHAEL KELLY. 279

that he was obliged to remain at Munich, and
another could not at the moment be procured ;
it was agreed that we should, bv turns, mount a

O %/

post-horse, and ride on before the carriages to the
post-house, and get horses ready, without which
precaution we might have been frequently detained
on the road. I thought it a pleasant arrange-
ment, although we travelled always in the night.

We arrived at Augsbcurg early in the morning,
and intended to pass the day there. There seemed
to be a swarm of Israelites in this old town, which
is renowned for wig-makers, pits, water-works, and
dancing ladies, who are by no means scrupulous on
the point of exhibiting their legs. It being Sunday,
we did not visit their sulphureous water-works,
but looked in at one of the balls which are given
every Sunday evening, where were some very
prettily-dressed servant girls, labouring assiduously
at the dance, accompanied by a dulcimer, a violin,
pipe, and tabor. Having gratified our curiosity
by this exhibition, we set off for Ulm, in which
there is nothing very remarkable, except its cathe-
dral. From Ulm, Storace and her mother, accom-
panied by his Lordship, went straight on to Stras-
bourg, where they agreed to wait for Stephen,
Attwood, and myself.

Previous to his going to Vienna, my friend Att-
wood had been staying at a friend's house at Stut-

280 REMINISCENCES OF

gard, and wished to spend a couple of days with
him on his return ; Stephen and I agreed to accom-
pany him ; but, in the execution of the design, we
lost our way in the Black Forest : we were driven byi rn

«/

a lad, the deputy assistant ostler at the inn where we
had changed horses, all the regular post-boys being
unluckily out of the way ; the poor fellow was uni£f:
acquainted with the road, the night was dark, and,
considering the place we were in (famous for banditti),
our situation was not the most enviable in the world.
We wandered on, we knew not where, for sonu
hours ; at last we saw a distant light ; we dismounted,
and walked across the forest towards it, the carriage
slowly following; at length we got to a gate, at
which we knocked ; a man within asked us what we
wanted at that time of night. I was the spokesman,
and, in bad German, said, " We were English tra-
vellers, who had lost our way, and were benighted
in the forest." — The young man immediately opened
the gate, and invited us in, and told us he was sure
his mother would make us welcome.

We were ushered into a large parlour, where was
seated, in an arm-chair, an elderly lady, with eight
of her grandchildren, placed round a supper table ;
she gave us a most hospitable reception, told us we
had strayed widely from the right road, made us sit
down and partake of her supper, which consisted of
some cold roasted veal, chickens, salad, and an excel-

MICHAEL KELLY. 281

lent omelet, and gave us some of the finest old hock
I ever tasted. She said she was very happy in ad-
ministering to our comforts, for she had a high re-
spect for the English. She was a very agreeable old
lady, and her charming family very attentive. She
insisted upon sitting up with us until day-break, as
she could not accommodate us with beds, and told
us, that her eldest son should accompany us to the
next post town, on the road to Stutgard.

In the morning we took leave of her, and changed
horses at the next stage — the country around Stut-
gard is very picturesque ; at the entrance to the city
we were impeded by an immense crowd of people,
chiefly military, attending the funeral of a field mar-
shal. The ceremony was grand and impressive.

Upon making inquiries in the place, we found that,
as the reigning Duke of Wirtemberg was absent on
a visit to the King of Prussia, the theatre was closed ;
but in the morning I went to look at the stage, on
which had been exhibited the most magnificent and

splendid spectacles ever produced : indeed, it has
been said, that the expense of this very theatre was
so great that it materially injured the finances of the
Sovereign, and that he was obliged to relinquish it :
at one period, the Italian opera flourished at Stut-
gard more than at any court in Europe. The first
soprano singer was the celebrated Cafarelli ; for its
tenor singer, the Cavaliere Hectore ; and the prima

REMINISCENCES OF

donna, the great Gabrielli ; Jomelli, Hasse, and
Graun, the composers ; with a corresponding orches-
tra, culled from all parts of Germany and Italy.
The ballets were magnificent ; the ballet-master, the
celebrated Noverre ; it was on this stage he produced
his Armida, and Jason and Medea ; the expense for
the production of which, in scenery, machinery, and
decorations, was said to be enormous : the elder
Vestris, Le Picque, Duberval, and the first dancers
from Paris were engaged ; and the whole together
formed a theatrical exhibition perfectly unique ; but
it was, I have before said, found necessary to put a
stop to their gaiety.

Having seen what was to be seen at Stutgard, we
proceeded on our journey ; and barring bad roads,
lazy post-boys, vile horses, wretched inns, and two
or three overturns, our journey was pleasant enough ;
at length we found ourselves at the gates of Stras-
burg, renowned for its savory and goose-liver pies,
and at the Hotel de TEmpereur we found Storace
and her party waiting for us ; we sat down to an ex-
cellent dejeuner a lajburchette, quite happy at being
released from our bone-setter : — we remained two
days at Strasburg, and liked it much.

One evening we went to a concert, which was
crowded with military men and beautiful women,
where I had the pleasure of being introduced to the
justly popular composer, Pleyel ; he was engaged as

MICHAEL KELLY. 283

director of the concerts ; he came to the hotel and
supped with us, and seemed delighted to hear that
we had left his old master Haydn in good health
and spirits. In the morning I went with him to the
top of the spire of the cathedral, reckoned the highest
in Europe ; a foolish fellow, a week before, disap-
pointed and crossed in love, had thrown himself
from the top of it, and been dashed to pieces. In
the body of the church, lie the remains of the
famous Marshal Saxe, to whose memory there is a
fine monument ; and its clock -is a curious piece of
machinery.

In the evening I heard the celebrated French
actress and comic singer, Madame Dugazzon, who
sang the popular ballad of " Monbon Andre, mon
cher Andre," charmingly. The house literally over-
flowed with elegant company. Next day we set off
for Nancy, the last stage of our journey ; Storace
and myself having ridden forward to order break-
fast, came to a place where four roads met : — which
was the right one we knew not ; I luckily thought
of the expedient of throwing the reins over our
horses' necks, and, as I foresaw, they mechanically
brought us safe and sound into Nancy, which I
thought a very pretty town.

The country all through Champagne is delight-
fully cultivated and picturesque ; nothing, however,
happened worth noticing until we reached Paris,

284 REMINISCENCES OF

where we took up our quarters at an hotel in the
Faubourg St. Germain, at that time the most fa-
shionable part of the town, and generally frequented
by the English. We remained there a few days,
and I believe saw every thing worth seeing, visited
Versailles, and saw the King and Queen, and the
royal family, dine in public, apparently adored by
the populace.

At that time there existed a ceremony, to which
all foreigners were obliged to submit ; I mean, that
of being actually compelled to receive the chaste
salutes of the dames de la lialle (fish women), who
besieged, in those days, the residences of strangers,
and presented them with nosegays, nor would they
quit their post until they had obtained both money
and kisses; but, I must say,that these amatory ad-
vances were to me a horrid nuisance.

My object, while in Paris, was to see all the thea-
tres, and I therefore visited one or other of them
every evening. I went, first, to the grand opera,
and was delighted with the magnificence of the
scenery, decorations, and dresses, and, above all,
with their choruses ; in that department they de-
cidedly bear away the palm from every other country1
the orchestra was most . minutely attended to, and
more numerous than even that of San Carlo at
Naples : but the principal singers (God save them)
made a shriek louder than I thought any human

MICHAEL KELLY. 285

beings capable of producing. The opera was Gluck^s
Iphigenia, which we had performed at Vienna ; but
for decorations and effect, Paris beat us out of the
field. The chorus and procession, where Pylades
and Orestes in chains, were dragged on by Gardel,
Vestris, and a host of first-rate dancers, were beyond
any thing I could have conceived. I went the next
night to the same theatre, and saw the first repre-
sentation of the grand serious opera of " CEdipe a
Colon ;" the music by Sacchini, was delightful and
enchanting. I there heard, for the first time, the
celebrated bass singer, Cheron, who played the part
of CEdipe, and sang in a delightful style ; it was
quite different from the performance of the night
before, indeed I could scarcely imagine myself in the
same theatre. I saw, too, the opera of Phedra, and
had great pleasure in seeing Madame St. Auberti
perform the part of Phedra ; she was a great actress,
and when she sang in a deml voice, was quite charm-
ing. This unfortunate lady and accomplished ac-
tress subsequently married, and with her husband,
the Count (TEntraigues, was robbed and murdered
by their servant when in England.

In this opera I felt much gratified by hearing
Monsieur Lais, possessing a fine baritone voice,
with much taste and expression ; but his greatest
praise, in my opinion, was, that he was very unlike
a French singer. The next theatre I visited, was

286 REMINISCENCES OF

the Francais. Their great tragedians, at the time,
were on leave of absence in the provinces ; I had
not, therefore, an opportunity of seeing a tragedy,
but I was amply compensated by their excellent
comedians ; their comic acting is always natural. I
saw Mole act the part of Duretete, in Farquhar's
Inconstant, admirably. Fleury was inimitable in
Le Pupile (the guardian) ; and Madame Contare
in Susan, Beaumarchais" Marriage of Figaro, exqui-
site. Dugazzon was a fine low comedian ; indeed,
I thought all the actors good ; but my favourite
theatre of all was the Theatre Italien, in the Rue
Favart, where French comic operas were performed ;
the orchestra was very good, and the actors and
singers equally so, a Mademoiselle Renard had a
most delightful voice, and was a sweet singer.

I saw there " Richard Coeur de Lion,"" and en-
joyed its charming music. I thought it always
Gretry^s masterpiece. Clairval, the« original Blon-
del, gave the air of " O Richard ! O mon Roi !"
with great expression. His acting in the scene
when he heard the voice of Richard from the prison,
was electrifying : his joy, his surprise, at having
found his king, the trembling of his voice, his scram-
bling up the tree to let Richard hear his voice, and
the expression altogether, made an impression on me
that never can be effaced ; and while I remained at
Paris, I never missed going to see him. Monsieur

MICHAEL KELLY.

Philippe played Richard remarkably well, and gave
the bravura air, " LTunivers que j'ai perdu," with
great skill and animation.

Having, at length, satisfied our curiosity at Paris,
we took our departure, and never halted until we
got to Boulogne ; when we arrived there, we went
to the hotel kept then by Mrs. Knowles (now Par-
ker's), and a very good house i£was. The old lady
herself went over with us in the packet to Dover :
in it also was Pilon, who wrote " The Fair Ameri-
can," and " He would be a Soldier;" a thoughtless,
extravagant, hair-brained fellow, who had been a
long time at Boulogne, where he had been much

o o '

noticed by the principal people. When we got in
sight of Shakspeare's Cliff, he expressed his surprise
at Shakspeare's referring to it as particularly high,
and found great fault with our immortal bard^s
judgment of altitude, and with the spot itself, which
he considered wholly unworthy of his notice. We
landed at Dover, and went to the York Hotel, and
agreed to dine together, and travel to London the
next day.

After dinner we went to the custom-house, in
order to have our trunks examined ; but poor
Pilon had, in the hurry of leaving Boulogne, left
his trunk behind him : he seemed absolutely para-
lyzed with horror ; and told us, on our return to
the inn, that he must set off to Boulogne in the

288 REMINISCENCES OF

packet which was to sail that night, and get his
trunk at all hazards. We thought it particularly
silly for him to do so, especially as he suffered
greatly from sea-sickness, and there was a stiffish
breeze blowing. We advised him to dispatch a
messenger for it, but all would not do ; he persisted
in going himself, and took such copious draughts of
hot brandy and water, that the poet's head became
considerably confused.

At length, as the effects of his numerous pota-
tions became more powerful, he opened his heart
to us; "Gad, my friends," said he, "if I don't
get my trunk, I shall be ruined, — it will be opened,
and in it will be found the bitterest satire I
could write, upon all the people with whom, and
upon whom I have been living, during the whole
of my stay at Boulogne ; and if they should see it
or hear of it, I shall never be able to shew my face
amongst them again."11 At midnight the packet
sailed, and in it the grateful playwright, in order to
save his reputation.

We, having neither written lampoons, nor
left our trunks behind us, set off in the morn-
ing, breakfasted at Canterbury, and dined at
Rochester, and an unlucky dinner it was for
me ; I had purchased some prints and trinkets
at Paris, which, by the aid of the steward of
the packet, I got safe across the water ; and on

MICHAEL KELLY. 289

leaving Dover, I had them packed in the bottom
of the chaise, and fancied them quite secure ; but
no9 — a lynx-eyed custom-house officer, of the name
of Tancred, while we were at dinner, stepped into
the chaise, and spoiled me of my smuggled purchases.
I strove to bribe, but the hard-hearted searcher
was inexorable; and I was obliged to submit to
the laws of my country, which, at the time, I
thought very hard : however, cares were but trifles
then, and I laughed away the loss ; and on the
18th of March, 1787, arrived in London for the
first time in my life. On the same evening, Ste-
phen Storace and myself called upon Mr. Linley
at his house in Norfolk Street in the Strand, where
I found his accomplished daughters, Mrs. Sheridan
and Mrs. Tickell. Mrs. Sheridan asked me if I had
seen " Richard Coeur de Lion," in Paris ; and on
my telling her that I had, only four evenings
before, she requested me to go and see it at Drury
Lane that evening, as she was most anxious to
know my opinion of the relative merits of the
French and English pieces. General Burgoyne had
translated it,- and Mrs. Sheridan adapted it to the
English stage.

I and Storace, accompanied by a young gentle-
man, set off for the theatre, but the piece was
nearly half over. I must premise, that I was then
totally uninformed as regarded the actors and

VOL. i. o

290 REMINISCENCES OF

actresses at Drury Lane. Just as we entered the
boxes, Richard was singing the romance from his
prison, most loudly accompanied from behind the
scenes by two French horns ; I was astonished to
hear an accompaniment so completely at variance
with the intention of the composer, and which
entirely spoiled the effect of the melody, nor did I
think much of the vocal powers of the royal cap-
tive; and turning to Storace, said, "If His Ma-
jesty is the first and best singer in your theatre,
I shall not fear to appear as his competitor for
public favour." Storace laughed, and told me that
the gentleman who upon that special occasion was
singing, was Mr. John Kemble, the celebrated
tragedian, who, to serve the proprietors, had under-
taken to perform the part of Richard, as there was
no singer at the theatre capable of representing
it. However, as I was not gifted with intuition,
my mistaking him for the principal vocalist of the
theatre was natural enough, having a few days back
seen Philippe, the first singer at the French theatre,
perform the same part.

My friend Kemble laughed heartily when he was
told that I had mistaken him for the Drury Lane
Orpheus. By the way, I heard that when Kemble
was rehearsing the romance, sung by Richard, Shaw,
the leader of the band, called out from the orchestra,
" Mr, Kemble, my dear Mr. Kemble, you are mur-

MICHAEL KELLY. 291

dering time."" Kemble, calmly and coolly taking
a pinch of snuff, said, " My dear Sir, it is better for
me to murder time at once, than be continually
beating him as you do."

Mrs. Jordan's acting in this drama was delightful,
and the Laurette of Mrs. Crouch most interesting.
I was struck with admiration of her wonderful
beauty, and delighted to hear that she was to be
my prima donna in the opera in which I was to
perform. She seemed to me to aggregate in herself,
like the Venus of Apelles, all that was exquisite
and charming. I agreed with Mr. Linley for the
remainder of the season at Drury Lane, and to
make my debut in the part of Lionel, on Friday,
the 20th of April, 1787.

There were oratorios performing at Drury Lane,
under the united management of Mr. Linley,
Doctor Arnold, and Madame Mara, who were
joint proprietors. One evening, after the first act
of the oratorio, I went into the green-room, where,
amongst other ladies, was Madame Mara, to whom
I had never spoken. Doctor Arnold said, " Pray,
Mr. Kelly, tell us what sort of a singer is Signora
Storace ?" I replied that, in my opinion she was
the best singer in Europe. I meant, of course,
in her line ; but, as it proved afterwards, Madame
Mara was highly offended at the praise which
I had given to my friend, and said to a lady,

EEMINISCENCES OF

when I quitted the green-room, that I was an
impertinent coxcomb. I then knew nothing of
Madame Mara, nor at that time valued her
good opinion ; however, she carried her resent-
ment so far against me, that she afterwards
declared she would not sing where I did, if she
could avoid it.

In selecting the opera of Lionel and Clarissa for
my first appearance, I was guided in my choice
by the circumstance of knowing all the songs,
which, besides, were much in my style of singing.
When the opera was produced, I sang all the
original music, and introduced an Italian air of
Sard's, with English words, written for me by
Mr. Richard Tick ell, brother-in-law to Mr. She-
ridan ; and a duet, written by the well-known Doctor
Lawrence, the civilian. I composed the melody,
and Stephen Storace put the instrumental parts to
it. This duet was his first introduction to Drury
Lane theatre. — That eminent actor, King, who
had been a friend of my father's in Dublin many
years before, took a great deal of pains to instruct
me in the dialogue of the part. — To Mr. Linley I
was also much indebted for his able tuition, and
from all the performers I experienced the most kind
and friendly attentions.

At the time of my debut, my friend Jack John-
stone was engaged at Covent Garden as fijrst singer.

MICHAEL KELLY. 293

I saw him play Young Meadows, in " Love in a
Village;" he acted the part, well, and sang the
songs with good taste, and a peculiarly fine falsetto
voice. Mrs. Billington was the Rosetta. I thought
her an angel in beauty, and the Saint Cecilia of
song.

I remember one day, shortly after my first
appearance, dining with my friend Jack Johnstone,
in Great Russell-street, I met an eccentric Irish-
man, well known in Dublin, of the name of Long
who was, by turns, an auctioneer and dramatist ;
he wrote a play called " The Laplanders," which
was, at first, very coolly received by the audience,
and afterwards very warmly condemned. He came
to England to propose to Government a plan for
paying oft* the national debt, or some such thing.
He was, however, full of anecdote, and had a happy
knack of telling stories against himself; one, I
recollect, was, that, in his auctioneering capacity,
amongst other schemes, he offered for sale, woollen
cloths at a farthing a yard ; yet, so completely was
his character known, and so well appreciated, that
he could not advance a bidding even upon that
price. At one time, he told us his patience was
actually worn out ; and, in anger towards his audi-
tory, he said he thought they would treat him with
the same inattention, if he were to offer a guinea
for sale.* He then literally took a guinea out of

294 REMINISCENCES OF

his pocket, and put it up; there were certainly
advances, shilling by shilling, until it reached
seventeen shillings and sixpence, at which price he
knocked it down, and, handing it to the buyer,
wished him luck of the bargain ; the purchaser
went immediately to try the value of his lot, when
it appeared, being weighed, to be of eighteen pence
less value than he had paid for it.

He mentioned another anecdote of a Mr. Lennan,
a saddler in Dublin, who was seriously stage-
stricken, and volunteered to act Major O'Flaherty,
in which he was execrable; after this was over,
however, he exhibited himself at the Cockle Club,
where the facetious Isaac Sparks presided, and
Jack Long was vice-president: they made him
extremely tipsy, and then gave him in charge to
the watch for having murdered Major OTlaherty,
and left the poor saddler all night in durance vile,
who afterwards stuck to making saddles, aod never
again was found guilty of murdering majors, even
on the stage.

1 had the pleasure also to be introduced to my
worthy countryman, the Reverend Father O'Leary,
the well-known Roman Catholic Priest ; he was a
man of infinite wit, of instructive and amusing
conversation. I felt highly honoured by the notice
of this pillar of the Roman Church ; our tastes were
congenial, for his Reverence was mighty fond of

MICHAEL KELLY. 295

whiskey punch, and so was / ; and many a jug of
St. Patrick's eye- water, night after night, did his
Reverence and myself enjoy, chatting over that
exhilirating and national beverage. He sometimes
favoured me with his company at dinner ; when
he did, I always had a corned shoulder of mutton
for him, for he, like some others of his countrymen,
who shall be nameless, was ravenously fond of that
dish.

One day, the facetious John Philpot Curran, who
was also very partial to the said corned mutton,
did me the honour to meet him. To enjoy the
society of such men was an intellectual treat. They
were great friends, and seemed to have a mutual
respect for each other's talents ; and, as it may easily
be imagined, O'Leary versus Curran, was no bad
match.

One day, after dinner, Curran said to him,

" Reverend Father, I wish you were Saint Peter.11
" And why, Counsellor, would you wish that I

were Saint Peter ?" asked O'Leary.

" Because, Reverend Father, in that case," said

Curran, " you would have the keys of Heaven, and

you could let me in."

" By my honour and conscience, Counsellor,"

replied the Divine, " it would be better for yon that

I had the keys of the other place, for then I could

let you out."

296 REMINISCENCES OF

Curran enjoyed the joke, which he admitted had
a good deal of justice in it.

CTLeary told us of the whimsical triumph which
he once enjoyed over Dr. Johnson. CVLeary was
very anxious to be introduced to that learned man,
and Mr. Murphy took him one morning to the
Doctor's lodgings. On his entering the room, the
Doctor viewed him from top to toe, without
taking any notice of him ; at length, darting one of
his sourest looks at him, he spoke to him in the
Hebrew language, to which O'Leary made no
reply. Upon which the Doctor said to him, " Why
do you not answer me, Sir ?"

" Faith, Sir," said O'Leary, " I cannot reply to
you, because I do not understand the language in
which you are addressing me."

Upon this the Doctor, with a contemptuous
sneer, said to Murphy, " Why, Sir, this is a pretty
fellow you have brought hither; — Sir, he does not
comprehend the primitive language.""

(TLeary immediately bowed very low, and com-
plimented the Doctor with a long speech in Irish,
of which the Doctor, not understanding a word,
made no reply, but looked at Murphy. O'Leary,
seeing that the Doctor was puzzled at hearing a
language of which he was ignorant, said to Murphy,
pointing to the Doctor, " This is a pretty fellow to
whom you have brought me ; — Sir, he does not

MICHAEL KELLY. 297

understand the language of the sister kingdom.""
—The Reverend Padre then made the Doctor a
1.3W bow, and quitted the room.

At the time when I met Jack Long, I was
in the highest spirits ; I had played Lionel, and
been received with all the kindness and indulgence
with which a British audience invariably encourages
a new performer, and I had been successful beyond
my warmest hopes.

On the folio wing Tuesday, (the 24th,) I remember
I went to the Opera House to see my friend
Signora Storace make her first appearance, and
was much gratified at her enthusiastic reception.
The opera was Paesiello's " Schiavi per Amore."
The whole of the music of this charming opera buffa
is delightful. The opening of it is a masterpiece
of harmony, and was warmly applauded by His
Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, who honoured
the theatre with his presence, and was in the
house before the commencement of the opera.
Amongst the audience were the late Duke of Cum-
berland (in the pit), and the Duchess (in her box,)
with the present Marquis of Conyngham. The
" Schiavi per Amore" was a great favourite for the
remainder of the season.

While my friend Storace was earning laurels
in the Haymarket, I was most kindly treated at
Drury Lane. My performance which succeeded

298 REMINISCENCES OF

Lionel, was that of Young Meadows, in " Love
in a Village." In addition to the original songs, I
introduced one of Gluck's, to which Mrs. Sheri-
dan did me the honour to write English words,
" Love, thcu maddening power ;" this was a great
favourite, as also the duet, " Each joy in thee
possessing," both of which were always encored.

Daly, the patentee of the Theatre Royal, in
Crow Street, sent over an offer of an engagement
to perform at his theatre, with Mrs. Crouch, for
twelve nights ; the terms I demanded, and which
were acceded to, were to share the house with Mr.
Daly, he first deducting fifty pounds per night for
his expenses; and the thirteenth night I was to
have a benefit clear of all expenses.

It was during the summer of this year, that the
commemoration of Handel took place. The last
grand performances given at Westminster Abbey
were on the 28th and 31st of May, the 1st and 4th
of June : upon those four mornings, I sang there,
but to give an idea of the effect of that magnificent
festival is far beyond my power; indeed, it has
already been described most elaborately by those
more competent to the task. I can only endeavour
to express the effect which it produced on me. When
I first heard the chorus of the Hallelujah, in the
" Messiah," and " For unto us a child is born," my
blood thrilled with rapturous delight— it was sublime ;

MICHAEL KELLY. 299

it was, in the inspired words of the chorus, " Won-
derful." The orchestra was led by the Cramers ;'
the conductors were Joah Bates, Esq. father of the
present secretary of the Tax Office, Drs. Arnold
and Dupuis. The band consisted of several hunj
dreds of performers. The singers were Madame
Mara, Storace, Miss Abrams, Miss Poole, Rubinelli,
Harrison, Bartleman, Sale, Parry, Norris, myself,
&c. and the choruses were collected from all parts
of England, amounting to hundreds of voices.

The King, Queen, and all the royal family sat
opposite the orchestra ; the body of the church, the
galleries, and every corner crowded with beauty,
rank, and fashion : — such was the rage to procure
seats, that ladies had their hair dressed the night
previous, to be ready to get to the Abbey in good
time. The performers unanimously exerted their
great talents to admiration; but what made an
everlasting impression on me was, the powerful
effect produced by Madame Mara, in the sublime
recitative, " Sing ye to the Lord, for he hath
triumphed gloriously ;" in that

Her voice was heard around,

Loud as a trumpet with a silver sound.

I have often sung with her the recitative tenor part,
"And Miriam the Prophetess took a timbrel in

300 REMINISCENCES OP

her hand;" and never heard her but with increased
delight.

No place could be more appropriate to give
effect to the divine strains of Handel, than the
spacious Abbey. His Majesty 's partiality for Han-
deFs music was generally spoken of ; but I believe
it was not universally known what an excellent
and accurate judge he was of its merits. The fine
chorus of " Lift up your heads, O ye gates," was
always given in full chorus, and indeed intended
to be so given by Handel. The King suggested
that the first part of it should be made a semi-
chorus, and sung only by the principal singers ;
but when it came to the passage, " He is the King
of Glory !" he commanded that the whole orchestra,
with the full chorus, should, with a tremendous
forte, burst out ; the effect produced by the altera-
tion was awful and sublime.

A strange coincidence happened at one of the
performances: the morning, during part of the
grand selection, was cloudy and lowering; but
when the grand chorus struck up " Let there be
light, and light was over all !" the sun burst forth,
and with its rays illuminated every part of the
splendid edifice. Every one was struck with the
coincidence, and the effect produced by it.

About this time I received the melancholy news
of my poor mother's death ; she had died a few

MICHAEL KELLY. 301

weeks before, but the event had not been divulged
to me : however, I was anxious to see my father
and family, and set off for Dublin, the 8th of June,
having previously entered into an engagement with
the proprietors of Drury Lane for the ensuing
season, stipulating not to perform more than three
times a week. Mr. and Mrs. Crouch and myself
hired a travelling carriage, had a most pleasant
journey, and I arrived in Dublin on the 12th of
June, at my father's house in Abbey Street. Mr.
and Mrs. Crouch went to lodgings taken for them
in College Green.

My father was, of course, delighted to see me,
and I equally so to see him ; for the lapse of so
many years had made no alteration in my affection
for him. I was most happy to see my sister, and my
brothers, Joe and Mark ; and on the 22nd made my
first appearance in Lionel, to a crowded house*
my reception was highly gratifying, and the plau-
dits I received from my warm-hearted countrymen,
and in my native city, were ever most congenial
to my feelings.

During my twelve nights' performance, I never
shared less, upon an average, than fifty pounds
per night ; my benefit, a clear one, overflowed in
every part, and the greater part of the pit was
railed into boxes : two of our nights' performances
were by the command of his Grace the Duke of

302 REMINISCENCES OF

Rutland, then the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, who
was accompanied to the theatre by his Duchess, a
most beautiful woman. Holman was then acting
in Dublin ; the Masque of Comus was got up ; he
played Comus, I, the principal Bacchanal, and sang,
" Now Phoebus sinketh in the West," and all the
principal songs. Mrs. Crouch was the Euphrosyne,
and looked as loVely as if she had been bathed in
the fountain of the Graces ; her acting in the song
of " The Wanton God," and singing " Would ye
taste the noontide air ?" and " Sweet echo," were
indeed a treat.

It struck me that there was a good oppor-
tunity to introduce, in the first act of the
Masque, between the principal Bacchanal and
Bacchante, a duet ; and I fixed upon the celebrated
Italian duet of Martini, " Pace, cara mia sposa,"
which created a great sensation at Vienna, but
much greater in Dublin. The English words put to
it, " Oh, thou wert born to please me," were very
good, and chimed in well with the scene ; no piece
of music ever produced a greater effect ; it was al-
ways called for three times, and no performance was
allowed to go on in which it was not introduced ;
it was sung about the streets by the ballad-singers,
and parodied by the news-boys, who used to sing
to each other, " Oh thou wert born to tease me,
my life, my only love ;" in short, it was completely

MICHAEL KELLY.

the rage all over Ireland, England, and Scotland,
for many, many years.

During my engagement in Dublin, I passed
many happy days in the delightful and hos-
pitable society of numerous and kind friends.
We took frequent excursions to Clontarf, Black
Rock, Dunleary, Hill of Howth, and the Dargle,
an enchanting spot. At Bray there was an inn,
where every accommodation could be had ; the
red trout are delicious; and at Lord Powers-
court's place, the Dargle, the views are beautiful
and picturesque, bearing a strong resemblance
to many parts of Sicily, particularly about the
environs of Palermo. However, these joys, like
all others, were but transitory ; and, in due time,
I finished my profitable and pleasant engage-
ment in Dublin, and sailed for Holyhead, on our
way to the York theatre, where Mrs. Crouch and
myself were engaged by the eccentric Tate Wil-
kinson, its proprietor, to perform during the race
week. Mrs. Crouch was perfectly acquainted
with the eccentricities of Tate, and told us many
anecdotes of him ; he was a great epicure, very
fond of French cookery, and small dishes ; large
joints he never allowed to come to his table,
and above all, had the most sovereign contempt
for a round of beef ; hearing this, it came into my

304 REMINISCENCES OF

head to play him a trick, and I got Mr. and Mrs.
Crouch to aid me in my frolic.

We got to the inn at York just at supper time.
I saw in the larder a huge round of beef ; I ordered
it up, and had it put on the table before me ; I
pulled off my coat and waistcoat, and tucked up
the sleeves of my shirt, unbuttoned my collar, took
off my cravat, and put on a red woollen night-cap ;
thus disrobed, and with a large carving-knife in my
hand, I was gazing with seeming delight on the
round of beef, at the moment Manager Wilkinson,
to whom Mrs. Crouch had previously sent, entered
the house. — He had never seen me ; he went up to
Mrs. Crouch, and congratulated her on her arrival
in York: turning from her, he espied me, and
starting back, exclaimed, " Ugh ! Ma'am, who is
that, with the enormous round of beef before him !
— How the devil came he here, Ma'am ?" Mrs.
Crouch said, with a serious countenance, " That is
Mr. Kelly, whom you have engaged to sing with me.1"

" What, that figure !" said Tate,— " What, that
my Lord Aimworth, — my Lionel, — my Young
Meadows ! — Ugh ! send him away, Ma'am ! send
him back to Drury Lane ! send him to Vienna ! I
never can produce such a thing as that to a York
audience, Ma'am."

While he was abusing the bad taste of the Drury

MICHAEL KELLY. 305

Lane managers and those of Vienna, I slipped out
of the room, dressed myself, and in proprid persona,
was introduced to Tate, who participated in the
j oke, and laughed heartily ; and ever after we were
the greatest friends.

On the 22nd of August we began our engage-
ment, with Lionel and Clarissa. Tate was the
Colonel Oldboy, and Mr. Betterton (Mrs. Glover's
father), Jessamy: — being the race week, York was
crowded with company, and the theatre always full.
This was the first place at which I saw Miss Farren,
who was then on a visit to Sir William and Lady
Milner. My worthy friend, that excellent actor,
Fawcett, then belonged to the York theatre, and
was the Douglas of the company.

The week after the races Mrs. Crouch took her
benefit, a great house ; Mrs. Crouch played Clara,
and I Carlos, with Comus ; our duet, "Oh, thou
wert born to please me," was wonderfully well re-
ceived. On Wednesday, the 29th, we commenced
a four nights' engagement at Leeds, in the " Maid
of the Mill ;" Patty, Mrs. Crouch ; Lord Aim worth
by myself. " Love in a Village," " The Duenna,"
and " Lionel and Clarissa, to excellent houses.

Wilkinson proposed to u» to perform four nights
more at Wakefield, to which we consented ; we
arrived there on Wednesday, the 5th of September,
and appeared in " Love in a Village ;" the house

806 REMINISCENCES OF

was thinly attended, but in the stage-box sat a
lady, who made such a terrible noise, throwing
herself into all kinds of attitudes, indulging ever
and anon in horrid laughing, that she disconcerted
every person who came upon the stage ; but, above
all, I in particular appeared to be the object of her
ridicule, and I confess I felt extremely hurt at her
pointed rudeness.

In the third act, when Young Meadows resumes
his real character, and comes into the garden to
meet Rosetta, I took out my watch to look at the
hour, and sang, <c I wonder this girl does not come;"
the fat lady in the stage-box instantly set off in a
horse laugh, and said to those around her, loud
enough to be heard in the gallery, " Why, look
there ; la ! the fellow has got a watch.""

I could not bear this ; I admit I lost my temper ;
but I walked up to the box, and said, " Yes,
Madam, it is a gold watch, and reckoned one of
the best in England," putting it close to her ; — my
friend Fawcett was standing at the side of the stage
at the time, and often since has spoken of it : the
lady was violently hissed, and ever after, when she
came to the theatre, conducted herself with becom-
ing decency. The same lady, I was told, behaved
one night so rudely to Mr. John Kemble, that he
was obliged to address her from the stage, and say
that he could not proceed with his part unless she

MICHAEL KELLY. SOT

would cease interrupting him with her noise ; the
audience insisted on her leaving the box ; a party of
her friends took her part, and wanted Kemble to
apologise to her, which he refused to do, and left
the theatre.

Our four nights ended; we consented to play,
one night more, by the express desire of the Earl
of Scarborough, who, during our stay in York-
shire, shewed us many marks of polite attention.
On the 12th of September we left Wakefield, to
commence the winter campaign on the 15th at Old
Drury ; and on the 23rd of September, 1787, Mr.
Linley revived his musical piece of " Selima and
Azor," with splendid scenery and decorations.
Mrs. Crouch was inimitable in Selima — she looked
and acted the character to admiration, and sang
the favourite rondo of u No flower that blows, is
like the rose," in a manner to secure a nightly
encore.

The music, though in a different style from
Gretry's, so renowned all over the Continent, was
very appropriate and pleasing. One night, during
its run, I went to the Italian Opera House ; it was
a dreadful stormy night, and rained incessantly. I
was lucky enough to get a hackney coach, and
while waiting for its drawing up to the door, I
heard two very handsome young women lamenting
that they could procure no conveyance : after

308 REMINISCENCES OF

apologising for my presumption, I told them that I
had one in waiting, and should be happy to have
the pleasure of offering them seats in it, — an offer
which, with many thanks, they accepted.

We got into the coach, and the coachman was
directed to drive to John Street, Fitzroy Square ;
the ladies, naturally enough, began to speak about
the opera and public places ; amongst other things,
one of them asked me if I had seen Mr. Kelly, the
new singer at Drury Lane : I replied, very often.

" My sister and I went to see him the other
night," said the young lady, " and we have set
him down as one of the most affected, conceited
fellows we ever beheld ; he strutted about the stage
like a peacock ; and, as to his singing, how an
audience could applaud it I cannot imagine. Do
you not think him execrable, Sir ?"

" Most certainly," said I ; " I have a very mean
opinion of him."

" And then the puppy," continued my fair
friend, " is so ugly, he is a perfect fright. Do
you not think so, Sir ?"

" Indeed," said I, " I do not think that, for I
am rather partial to his personal appearance, and
like his countenance as well as I do my own — but
pray," continued I, " in what character might you
have -seen this frightful fellow ?"

" In Selima and Azor, I think they called it,"

MICHAEL KELLY. 309

said her sister ; " but we were so tired and dis-
gusted with it, that we came away at the end of
the first act."

" Well, ladies," said I, " if you had stopped
until the end of the piece, and seen Mr. Kelly with
his mask off, you would have seen him assume the
appearance of a < prince, and perhaps not have
thought him so very frightful.1"

By this time, the coach had reached their door ;
and returning many thanks for my civility in seeing
them home, they told me they should be very
happy, if any morning I would favour them with
a call, and asked me for my address. I gave it,
upon which they both actually shrieked with horror,
and asked a thousand pardons for the rudeness of
which they had been innocently guilty. I laughed
heartily at the little contrc temps, and took my leave ;
but returned the next day, and formed an intimacy
with them which lasted many years, during which,
I received the greatest hospitality and kindness
from them : — one of them was the wife of a wealthy
merchant, the other unmarried, but both were
charming and agreeable women.

During this season, Storace introduced me to
Mr. Cobb, the late secretary to the East India
Company, who had written two successful farces
for Drury Lane, — " The Humourist," and " The
First Floor," in which Bannister played admirably.

310 REMINISCENCES OF

Cobb was adapting, with Storacc, Baron Ditters-
dorfs " Doctor and Apothecary," for Drury Lane ;
they wished to consult me upon the kind of songs
I should wish to be written for me : we proposed
to dine together next day, at the Orange Coffee
House, opposite to the Opera House. I agreed
to meet Cobb in St. James's Park before dinner ;
and while we were seated on one of the benches
(for it was then allowable to sit upon them) we
were joined by Pilon, whom I had not seen since he
set off to Boulogne to recover his trunk and his
satire. He seemed very well acquainted with
Cobb, and taking him aside, borrowed a couple
of guineas of him ; he then wished us a good
morning. In about half an hour afterwards, we
went to the Orange Coffee House, where we
saw the borrowing author sitting in a box ; he
asked leave to join us. We had our dinner and
wane; and after dinner, Pilon went to the bar,
and insisted on paying the whole of the bill, with
the money which, three hours before, he had bor-
rowed of Cobb ; this of course we would not allow,
but we had a hearty laugh at the expense of both
borrower and lender.

Most of my theatrical readers remember, and
all have heard, of that exquisite actor, Parsons;
to him I was particularly partial, and he, I may
venture to say, was very partial to me. I have

MICHAEL KELLY.

311

repeatedly dined with him, in a band-box of a
house which he had near the Asylum, at Lambeth ;

»/

it was an odd place for an asthmatic comedian to
live in, for it was opposite a stagnant ditch ; he
called it Frog Hall. In his little drawing-room
were several beautiful landscapes, painted by him-
self; he was reckoned a very good artist. Amongst
his little peculiarities, was a fondness for fried tripe,
which almost nightly, after the play, he went to
enjoy, at an eating-house in Little Russell Street,
nearly opposite the stage-door of Drury Lane

heatre, whither I used very often to accompany
him ; and night after night have we been tete-a-tete
there. I was anxious to acquire what theatrical
information I could, and he was very communi-
cative and full of anecdote.

One evening I was expressing a wish to see him
act the character of Corbachio, in " The Fox," as
it was one of his great parts.

" Ah," said he, " to see Corbachio acted to per-
fection, you should have seen Shuter; the public
are pleased to think that I act that part well, but
his acting was as far superior to mine, as Mount
Vesuvius is to a rushlight."

Parsons, when on the stage with John Palmer
and James Aickin, used to make it a point to set
them off laughing, and scarcely ever failed in his
object. One evening, over our fried tripe, I was

3152 HEMJNISCENCES OF

condemning them for indulging their laughing pro-
pensities on the stage, and said I thought it was
positively disrespectful to the audience. " For my
own part," said I, "I enjoy your comicalities and
humour as much as any one, when in the front of
the house ; but were I on the stage with you,
nothing that you could do, wrould make me so far
forget the character I was acting, as to indulge in
misplaced mirth."

" Do you think so ?" said he ; " well, perhaps
you are right."

Five or six nights after this conversation, we
were acting in " The Doctor and Apothecary."
I was to sing a song to him, beginning, " This
marriage article, in every particle, is free from flaw,
Sir." A full chord was given from the orchestra
to pitch the key ; just as it was given, and I was
going to begin the song, he called out to Shaw,
the leader, " Stop, stop ;" and putting his head
into my face, and kicking up his heels (a fa-
vourite action of his) he drove me from one end of
the stage to the other, crying out all the time,
" I'll be hanged if you shall ever have any more
fried tripe, no more fried tripe, no more fried tripe,"
and completely pushed me off the stage. I could
not resist this unexpected attack, and naturally
burst out laughing. The audience were in a roar
of laughter too, for it was enough that he held

MICHAEL KELLY. 313

up his finger or his heel to make them laugh.
When we got off, he said, " I think you must
own, my serious lad, that I have conquered ;""
then taking me by the hand, he dragged me upon
the stage to the spot whence he had before driven
me, and looking down into the orchestra, said,
" Now, Sirs, begin," which they did, and I sang
my song, which was much applauded ; but the
audience were, of course, ignorant of the joke of
the fried tripe, or what he meant by it : however,
he is gone, poor fellow, and many a pleasant hour
have I enjoyed in his society.

In the summer of this year I and Mrs. Crouch
went to Liverpool, Chester, Manchester, and
to Worcester races. The theatre there was most
fashionably attended ; we received much kindness,
particularly from Mr. Walsh Porter and his lady.
We took Birmingham for a fortnight in our way
back, and our trip was pleasant and profitable.
My leave of absence from Vienna had expired;
and I had received my "yearly salary punctually,
from the Secretary to the Austrian Embassy in
London. I wrote to Prince Rosenberg a respectful
letter, requesting him to lay before His Majesty *
the Emperor, my humble duty and grateful thanks
for the many bounties bestowed upon me ; but that
my father's state of health, and his wish for me to
stay in England, induced me to remain there ; —

VOL. i. p

814 REMINISCENCES OF

this was rny excuse ; but there were other reasons
more potent than filial duty for my not return-
ing to dear Vienna : had I gone, and remained
ten years, I should have had half my salary for
the remainder of my life, and have been allowed
to retire with ease and comfort; but, as his Grace
of Bedford^ motto sayeth, " Che sara, sara ;"" and
I cannot be expected now to account for my con-
duct then.

The oratorios were this year carried on under
the direction of Doctor Arnold and Mr. Linlev,

•' '

and they wished to engage me ; but Madame Mara,
who was their great prop, as I have before mentioned,
had an aversion to my singing wherever she was, for
reasons before stated ; of course, they were obliged
to submit to the caprices of the Queen of Song, and
I cared little about the matter at the time. I went
one oratorio night into the green room to speak to
Mrs. Crouch, but the only persons in the room were
Madame Mara and Monsieur Ponte, first French
horn player to the King of Prussia, and a very fine
performer ; he was an intimate friend of Madame
Mara, and engaged to play a concerto at the oratorio
that night. He said to Madame Mara in German,
" My dear friend, my lips are so parched with fear,
that I am sure I shall not make a sound in the in-
strument ; I would give the world for a little water
or beer to moisten my lips.11

MICHAEL KELLY. 315

Madame Mara replied in German, " There is
nobody here to send ; and yet if I knew where to
get something for you to drink, I would go myself.'1''

During their dialogue, I was standing at the fire-
side ; and addressing Madame Mara, in German, I
said, " Madame, I should be sorry for you to have
that trouble, and I sit lazy by ; I will, with great
pleasure, go and get Monsieur Ponte some porter."
I instantly despatched a messenger for a foaming
pot ; and as soon as it arrived, I presented it to
the thirsty musician, in the nick of time, for he was
called on to play his concerto just at this moment.
Madame Mara desired me to accept her best acknow-
ledgments for my attention, and gave me an invita-
tion to call at her house in Pall Mall the next day,
at two o'clock. I accordingly went; and she then
told me honestly, that upon her first knowledge of
me, she had taken a violent dislike to me, which my
kindness to her timid friend on the preceding even-
ing, convinced her was ill-ft unded ; she apologised,
and concluded this amende (tres-honorable) by
asking me if I took a benefit at the theatre that
season.

I answered in the affirmative : she then said, " It
was my intention never to appear on the English
stage ; yet if you think my playing for your benefit
for the first and only time will be of service to you,
I beg you will command me."

REMINISCENCES OF

I was thunderstruck at her kindness and liberality,
and thankfully accepted it. She fixed on Maridane,
in Artaxerxes, and brought the greatest receipt ever
known at that house, as the whole pit, with the ex-
ception of two benches, was railed into boxes. So
much for a little German proficiency, a little com-
mon civility, and a pot of porter.

The cast of Artaxerxes, upon this occasion, stood
thus : —

Aibaces ..... MRS. CROUCH.

Artaxerxes .... MR. BIG NUM.

Artabanes . . . . MR. KELLY.

Semi i a ..... MRS. FOSTER.

Mandane ..... MAUAME MARA.

June llth, I played at the Opera House, Count
Almaviva, in the Italian opera of " II Barbiere di
Siviglia," for the benefit of Signora Storace ; and
on the 17th of the same month that theatre was de-
stroyed by fire. I was an eye-witness to the dread-
ful conflagration ; it was said to have been caused
purposely, and I knew the person suspected. He
was an Italian, who had been in the employ of Gal-
lini, but having disagreed with him, it was reported
that he set fire to his theatre ; for. my own part, I
never believed it ; but such was the report ; certain
it is, at. all events, that the suspected incendiary was
coolly supping at the Orange Coffee House, watch-
ing the progress of the flames.

MICHAEL KELLY. 317

The Opera company went to Co vent Garden, and
finished the remainder of the season, where I played
six nights.

" Shakspeare's Jubilee" was revived this year, and
acted five nights to crowded houses; all the per-
formers walked in the procession, as the different
characters of his plays. Mrs. Siddons personated
the Tragic, and Miss Farren the Comic Muse.. I
had to sing the following lines, written by the pre-
sent worthy Alderman Birch, author, amongst others,
of three very popular musical pieces : — " The Ma-
riners ;" " The Adopted Child ;" and « The Smug-
glers :" they were received with unqualified appro-
bation.

AIR—" The Mulbcrnj Tree."

" The cypress and yew tree for sorrow renown'-J,
And tear-dropping willow shall near thee be found ;
All nature shall droop, and united complain,
For Shakspeare in Garrick hath died o'er again."

In the procession I walked, or rather danced
down, as Benedick, and Miss Pope as Beatrice, in
"MuchAdoabout Nothing;" both masqued. Moody
came to me one evening, and requested I would lend
my domino and masque to a friend of his, who
wished to see the audience from the stage, and who
would do exactly as I did, having frequently seen
me and Miss Pope. On he went, but appeared in-
stantly planet struck, and stood perfectly still ; nor

318 REMINISCENCES OF

did he move until pushed off; the rage and disap-
pointment of Miss Pope, who was an excellent
dancer (and I not a very bad one,) at not receiving
the applause which she had always brought, was
very great ; she stormed, and raged, and vowed
vengeance against poor me. I wrote to her in the
morning, asking her pardon, and signed myself
" The Fair Penitent ,*" she took the letter in good
part, and wrote me a friendly answer, admonishing
me to be guarded against bad advisers : and to the
day of her death was kindly attentive to me, but
she never forgave Moody, by whose advice I had
transgressed.

In the summer of 1788, I went to Liverpool,
Manchester, Chester, and Birmingham ; Mrs.
Crouch was also engaged at those places ; our re-
ception was most flattering, and we reaped a plenti-
ful harvest. From Birmingham, we returned to
Drury Lane. The first novelty was Dryden^s alte-
ration of Shakspeare's " Tempest," which was re-
ceived with marked applause for many nights. I
composed a duet for myself and Mrs. Crouch, as
Ferdinand and Miranda, which was a favourite : the
whole of the delightful music by Purcell, was well
got up by Mr. Linley; the accompaniments by
himself.

The next operatical novelty at Drury Lane was
the u Haunted Tower," written by Cobb, the music

MICHAEL KELLY. 319

by Stephen Storace. On the first night of this
opera, Signora Storace made her first appearance on
the English stage ; and the piece was thus performed,
Nov. 24th, 1789.

Lord William .... MR. KELLY.

De Conrcy MR. WHITFIELD.

Edward MR. BANNISTER, Jun.

Baron of Oakland . . MR. BADDELY.

Hugo MK. MOODY.

Robert MR. DIGNUM.

Lewis . ..... Ma. SUETT.

Martin MR. WILLIAMS.

Hubert MR. WEEK.

Charles MR. SEDGWICK.

Lady Elinor .... MRS. CROUCH.

Cicely Miss ROMANZINI.

Maude MRS. BOOTH.

Adela SIGNORA STORACE.

The success of this opera was never surpassed ; it
was a lasting favourite for many years : the first
season it was played fifty nights. The under plot
was taken from an Italian intermezzo opera ; the
entire scene of the Baron of Oakland reading a let-
ter, was taken from it. Storace was greatly received
in Adela, both as a singer and an actress. Bannister
and Baddely were excellent in the comic parts ;
Mrs. Crouch, as Lady Elinor, was in the full bloom
of beauty, and the richest voice. I had two fine
allotted to me, " From Hope's fond dream/'

320 REMINISCENCES OF

and " Spirit of my sainted sire," one of the most
difficult songs ever composed for a tenor voice ; in-
deed, all the music was beautiful : the admiration of
the audience at the sestetto, " By mutual love de-
lighted,'" I can never forget ; certainly, nothing
could exceed the composition or the execution of it 4
both were perfect.

This season I was engaged by the noble Directors
of the Ancient Concerts, as principal tenor. The
night of my debut, the Earl of Uxbridge was the
Director ; the songs allotted to me by his Lordship,
were " Jephtha^s rash vow," and the laughing song
from L' Allegro, " Haste thee, nymph, and bring
with thee." The late Mr. Linley heard me sing it
over and over again, and to his masterly instruc-
tion I owed the indulgence which I received. In
singing sacred music I was aware of its value, and
fagged at the tenor songs of Handel with unremit-
ting assiduity. Mr. Joah Bates conducted those
concerts, and was supposed to understand Handel
perfectly ; he was an excellent performer on the or-
gan ; Cramer was the leader, and Cervetto princi-
pal violoncello. The concerts were then held in
Tottenham Street, and their Majesties and the Royal
Family were constant attendants ; but, although it
was difficult to become a subscriber, the room wras
always crowded.

I was lucky enough to meet with the approbation

MICHAEL KELLY. 321

of Mr. Bates, in the recitative of " Deeper and
deeper still;" my next song was the laughing one.
Mr. Harrison, my predecessor at those concerts,
was a charming singer : his singing " Oft on a plat
of rising ground ;" his " Lord remember David ;"
and " O come let us worship and fall down," breathed
pure religion. No Divine from the pulpit, though
gifted with the greatest eloquence, could have in-
spired his auditors with a more perfect sense of duty
to their Maker than Harrison did by his melodious
tones and chaste style ; indeed, it was faultless ; hut
in the animate.! songs of Handel he was very defi-
cient. I heard him sing the laughing song, without
moving a muscle ; and determined, though it was
a great risk, to sing it my own way, and the effect
produced justified the experiment: instead of.
singing it with the serious tameness of Harrison, I
laughed all through it, as I conceived it ought to be
sung, and as must have been the intention of the
composer : the infection ran ; and their Majesties,
and the whole audience, as well as the orchestra,
were in a roar of laughter ; and a signal was given
from the royal box to repeat it, and I sang it again
with increased effect.

Mr. Bates assured me, that if I had rehearsed it
in the morning, as I sang it at night, he would
have prohibited my experiment. I sang it five
times in the course of that season by special
desire. p 5

REMINISCENCES OF

There was at this time a subscription concert,
held at Freemasons1 Hall, called the Academy of
Ancient Music, under the direction of Dr. Arnold ;
I was engaged also at that concert for the season.
The subscribers were chiefly bankers and merchants
from the city ; I think I hardly ever saw a greater
assemblage of beautiful women. In the summer of
1789, Mrs. Crouch and I went to Dublin, Cork,
Limerick, and Liverpool, and had a pleasant and
profitable campaign. We performed " The Haunted
Tower," in Dublin, with complete success.

The morning after the first night's performance
of that opera, I was at my father's, and heard a
news-boy bawling about the street, " Here is the
high-born Hibernian Journal ! the Freeman's Jour-
nal ! and Saunders's Great News, and more to come !"
Anxious to hear what the papers said of my per-
formance of the night before, I opened the street
door, and calling the news-boy to me, asked him for
Freeman's Journal ; " Sir," said the ragged urchin,
" I've sold the last I had."

" Then," said I, " you stupid dog, if you have
sold them, why are you crying them about the
street ?"

With an arch look, scratching his head, and
looking me full in the face, he replied, " Practice
makes perfect, Mr. Kelly; I do it just to keep
myself in voice ;" and away he ran.

From Cork we went to perform a few nights at

MICHAEL KELLY.

Waterford, and spent some very pleasant joyous
days at Youghal, the seat of our worthy friend Mr.
llobert Uniacke. His hospitable mansion was full
of company; amongst whom were the Marquis of
Waterford and family, and Mr. Newport the
banker, now Sir John Newport.

In the month of October, there was a grand
musical festival at Norwich. Madame Mara was
engaged there, and so was I, as principal tenor
.singer. The first performance was " The Messiah,11
which I was to open on the Thursday morn-
ing. I was to quit town on the Tuesday, but on
Monday night I received an order not on any
account to leave London, for Mr. Sheridan had
sent a peremptory message to have Richard Cceur
de Lion performed ; and against his decree there
was no appeal. John Palmer, the excellent co-
median, was with me when I received the message ;
he said to me, " My valued friend, Richard will be
over by eleven o'clock ; if you choose to have a
carriage and four horses at the door, you will get
with ease to Norwich by twelve, on Thursday, in
time to open " the Messiah.11 — Norwich is the city
that first cherished me, and where I married my
beloved wife; — how I should like to accompany
you, if you would give me a seat in your chaise.11

I said it would make me very happy to have the
pleasure of his company. He told me he was per-

REMINISCENCES OF

fectly acquainted with every inn on the road, and
would write immediately to those where we were to
change horses, to have relays prepared for us, that
we mi"-ht not meet with any delay on the road. I

C-J • «/

was much pleased with the promised arrangement,
and wrote to Madame Mara that I should be at
Norwich on Thursday in time, requesting her to
secure two beds at the Hotel where she was ; one
for my friend Palmer, and one for myself.

On Wednesday evening, as I was dressing for
Richard, my friend Palmer came to me, with the
countenance of Joseph Surface, and sighing, said,
" My best of friends, this is the most awful period
of my life; I cannot leave town; my beloved wife, the
partner of my sorrows and my joys, is just confined."

I said, under such circumstances, of course I
could not expect him to leave Mrs. Palmer, but
I hoped there would be no mistake about the
horses, which were ordered to be ready at each
post ; he sat down, and deliberately wrote down
the names of all the places where he had ordered
them to be in readiness.

About eleven o'clock, having merely taken off my
Richard's dress, I got into the carriage ; and ac-
companied by a Scotchman, who was my valet and
hair-dresser, rattled off full speed to Epping, where
we were first to change, at the inn marked down by
iny excellent friend ; we knocked and bellowed for

MICHAEL KELLY.

Mr. Palmer's horses ; at last out came the ostler ; —
Mr. Palmer had no horses there ; he had not sent
any orders ; nor did they even know who Mr
Palmer was.

I never in the course of rny life experienced a
greater disappointment ; in short, all the way
down I had to wait for horses, as Palmer had not
written to any one of the inns ; however, the
road was excellent, and by paying the boys well,
I got on at a capital pace without the smallest
accident. It was market-day at Norwich, and as
I drove in, the good folks stared and wondered to
see me getting my hair dressed in the carriage;
however, I reached the church-door just as the
overture to " the Messiah," was on the point of
commencing. I took my seat in the orchestra,
opened the " Oratorio," and never was in better
voice, although naturally much fatigued.

We had two more morning performances in the
church, and three evening performances in the
grand assembly room. At the conclusion of the
festival I returned to town, and when I charged
Palmer with neglect and deception, he swore that
he had ordered all the horses exactly as he had
stated. I thought it of no use to be at variance with
him, and pretended to believe him, which of course
prevented a quarrel, though his neglect might have
been of the most serious consequence to me ; and

326 REMINISCENCES OF

.although the fact was, that Mrs. Palmer had not
been confined at all.

About two months afterwards he was engaged
to go to Reading, to act for a benefit, but he did
not go ; and wrote to the poor actor, for whom he
was to perform, that he could not leave town,
because Mrs. Palmer was just brought to bed; his
letter was read from the stage to the audience.
When I heard of it, I congratulated him upon
the possession of a partner, who increased his family
every two months. But Plausible Jack, all his life,
was blessed with inventive faculties.

I remember there was a new comedy to be per-
formed at Drury Lane, the name of which I do not
now remember, in which Palmer had the principal
part; it was very long, and the day before, at
rehearsal, he did not know a single line of it.
On the day the play was to be acted, the boxes
all engaged, and a crowded house expected, Palmer
sent word that he was taken dangerously ill, and
that it would be at the risk of his life if he were

to play that night. His letter was not sent to the
theatre until three oVlock, when all was confusion,
from the lateness of the hour at which the intel-
ligence was received. Mr. Sheridan was at the

box-office, and I was with him, when Powell, the
prompter, brought him the letter. When he had
read it, he said to me, — " I'd lay my life this is a

MICHAEL KELLY. 827

trick of Plausible Jack's, and that there is nothing
the matter with him, except indeed not knowing a
line of the part he has to act to-night. Let you
and I call upon him, and I am sure we shall find
him as well as ever.1'

He lodged in Lisle Street, two doors from my
house. As we were passing by, Mrs. Crouch hap-
pened to be at one of the windows, and beckoned
Mr. Sheridan to walk in ; he did so, and I went
on to Palmer's ; and finding the street-door open,
walked up stairs, where I found him seated at
table, with his family, in the middle of dinner, in
seeming excellent health and spirits. I told him
to clear away the table, for Mr. Sheridan would
be there, in two minutes, to see him ; " and," said
I, " he swears there is nothing the matter with
you, and that you have shammed sick, only because
you are not perfect ; if he find himself right in his
surmises, he will never forgive you, for putting off*
the play."

" Thanks, my best, my dearest, valued friend,"
replied Palmer ; " I'm sure you'll not betray me."

I assured him I would not, and in a moment
he was in his bed-room, enveloped in his dressing-
gown, with a large woollen night-cap on his head,
and a handkerchief tied under his jaw, stretched
on a sofa. As Mr. Sheridan entered the room, he
began groaning, as if in the most excruciating

328 REMINISCENCES OF

torture from the tooth-ache. Never did he act
a part better, on or off the stage. Mr. Sheridan
was really taken in ; advised him to have his tooth
extracted, and then to study his part, and get
perfect in the new play. We went away, and I
kept his secret till the day of his death.

It was about this time that the well-known Che-
valier St. George was in London, and with him
Giornovick, the celebrated violin player. Gior-
novick, who was a desperate duellist, quarrelled

with Shaw, the leader of the Drurv Lane orchestra,

if .

at an oratorio, and challenged him. I strove all in

my power to make peace between them ; Giornovick
could not speak a word of English, and Shaw
could not speak a word of French. They both
agreed that I should be the mediator between them ;
I translated what they said to each other most faith-
fully ; but unfortunately, Shaw, in reply to one
of Giornovick's accusations, said, " Poh ! ,pohr

" Sacre Dieu ! " said Giornovick, " what is the
meaning of dat Poh ! poll ? — I will not hear a word
until you translate me, Poh ! poh P

My good wishes to produce harmony between
them for some time were frustrated, because I really
did not know how to translate " Poh ! poh !"" into
French or Italian ; I, however, at last succeeded in
making them friends, but the whole scene was truly
ludicrous.

MICHAEL KELLY.

In April 1789, I played Macheath, for the first
time, for my benefit. Mrs. Crouch, Polly ; and
Mrs. Charles Kemble (then Miss Decamp), Lucy ;
both these ladies were inimitable. To play Mac-
heath was the height of my ambition : I took all
the pains I could, and no young man had greater
pains taken with him. Mr. Linley remembered
Beard and Vernon ; John Kemble, Digges ; they
gave me imitations of these Macheaths : there was
also then in London, the celebrated Irish Mac-
heath, and worthy man, old Wildar, who had re-
tired from the theatrical profession, and was living
in London. Previous to his going on the stage,
he had been a painter, and had a secret for cleaning
pictures, which produced him a good income. His
Colonel Oldboy will never be forgotten, and his
Macheath was excellent. From his tuition I learnt
much; but my great support was the perfect re-
collection I had of Webster, who was certainly the
best Macheath in the world. I acted the part
a number of nights, with by far the best acting
Polly, and the best Lucy, I ever saw, or ever hope
to see again.

I had the good fortune, on my benefit night, to
produce, for the first time, the musical entertain-
ment of " No Song, no Supper." It will hardly
be credited that this charming and popular opera,
which has been acted hundreds of nights, was actually

330 REMINISCENCES OF

rejected by the Drury Lane management. Its au-
thor, my valued friend, Prince Hoare, and Storace,
the composer of its enchanting music, gave it me for
my benefit ; the applause it received on that night,
induced the managers to solicit it from the author
and composer.

All the music is beautiful, but the finale to the
first act is a most masterly composition ; the drama
is full of comic situations, and the whole, in my
opinion, excellent. In the summer I went to
Liverpool, Birmingham, Manchester, and Chester.
The Italian Opera was performed at the little
theatre in the Haymarket this year, which was the
first of George Colman the younger1 s management.

On the 31st of October, died that eccentric
comedian, and great supporter of O'Keefe^s muse,
Edwin. I knew him well ; he was the best Eng-
lish burletta singer I ever heard : he had great
rapidity of utterance, and was a competent musi-
cian ; his Peeping Tom and Lingo were master-
pieces.

I this season received a most flattering mark of
attention from Mr. John Beard, the celebrated
English tenor singer. He did me the honour to
come from his house at Hampton (as he told me)
to hear me sing " Spirit of my Sainted Sire," in
" The Haunted Tower ;" he sat in the Drury Lane
orchestra box, with his trumpet to his ear, for he

MICHAEL KELLY. 331

was very deaf ; and after the opera was over, came
upon the stage to me, and was pleased to express
himself in high terms of approbation. I confess
such a tribute from such a man was gratifying in
the extreme.

In the beginning of June 1789, Doctor Arnold,
for whose distinguished talents I felt a great
regard, called upon me, to request that I would
assist him in engaging Madame Mara, Signora
Storace, and Mrs. Crouch, with several other
eminent singers, to go down to Cannons, where
he had kindly undertaken to conduct an oratorio,
or rather a selection from Handel's works, for the
relief of the poor of Stanmore. Cannons was for-
merly in the possession of the Duke of Chandos,
and the house in which Handel composed some of
his finest music. This beautiful place was pur-
chased by Colonel O'Kelly, of turf celebrity, who,
at his death, left it to his nephew, Colonel O'Kelly,
a particular friend of mine. His father resided with
him at Cannons, and was a good-natured, well-
meaning Irishman, with a fine Connaught brogue,
and a great crony of Father O'Leary's.

When Mrs. Crouch and myself were at breakfast,
he called upon us, and said to me, " Arrah, my
jewel of a namesake, tell me what tunes are we
going to hear at church this morning ?"

332 REMINISCENCES OF

I shewed him the printed bill of the performance,
part of which he read, and made his comments on
it. In act the first was to be sung, " Lord, what
is man ?" by Madame Mara. " Upon my honour
and conscience,'1'' said he, " I am mioiitilv mistaken

o •/

if Madame Mara don't pretty well know without
asking."

The next song announced, was " Total Eclipse,"
l)y Mr. Kelly. " That is right, my jewel," said the
Colonel, " I like that now ; the more you talk
about Eclipse the better, for wasn't it Eclipse that
bought Cannons ?"

This season, a singer, of the name of Bowden,
made his appearance at Covent Garden, in " Ilobin
Hood." I remember going to see his debut with
Madame Mara, who had known him when he was
in a mercantile house at Manchester, and was very •
much interested in his success : he was received with
great applause, his voice was good, and he sang
with taste. Johnstone played the part of Edwin,
and their voices blended well together in the duet
of " How sweet in the Woodlands." Mrs. Billing-
ton was the Angelica, looked beautifully, and sang
the simple ballad, " I travelled India's barren
sands," like a true Angelica. In the same box with
Madame Mara and myself, sat Charles Bannister,
who had originally acted the same part of Robin,

MICHAEL KELLY. 333

Hood ; a person next to him, who was vehemently
applauding Bowden, had the bad taste to say to
Bannister (purposely, I suppose, to mortify him),
" Ay, ay, Sir, Bowden is the true Robin Hood,
the only Robin Hood ;" on which Bannister replied,
" Sir, he may be Robin Hood this year, but next
season he will be robbing Harris." Tlusjeu cTesprlt
produced some merriment.

In August 1790, Mr. and Mrs. Crouch, myself,
and a very old friend of Mrs. Crouch, a Mr.
M'Donnell, proposed to spend some time at Mar-
gate, and thence to go to Paris : Mrs. Billington
was at Ramsgate at the same time. In the church-
yard of St. Peter's, are interred the remains of that
excellent scholar and actor, Mr. Thomas Sheridan,
who died at Margate ; his son, Richard Brinsley
Sheridan, followed him to the grave, and during his
illness paid him the most affectionate and dutiful
attention, as I can testify.

The recollection of this place is indelibly stamped
upon my mind by a circumstance which deeply
interested us all at the time. A poor girl, an in-
habitant of it, by an accident, was deprived of the
use of her limbs, and reduced to the greatest dis-
tress. Mr. Phillips, the father of Mrs. Crouch,
then lived at St. Peters, and took great pains to
forward a subscription for the poor sufferer, and
drew up a petition to the inhabitants and visitors ;

334) REMINISCENCES OF

the Honourable Wellesley Pole (now Lord Mary-
borough) and his lady ; the Honourable Mr. Vil-
liers and his lady (Mrs. Pole's sister), were then
at Margate, highly esteemed for their kindness and
philanthropy ; and with their usual goodness, they
undertook to promote the subscription ; and not
only made a liberal donation themselves, but in the
public library one evening, when the room was
crowded with visitors, they went round to every
individual to request their charity for the poor girl,
and collected an unexpected sum of money.

Mrs. Crouch and I were present; and when it
came to our turn to bestow our mite, I said to Mrs.
Crouch, that I thought our best donation would be
to play a night at the theatre for the girrs benefit;
and as neither of us had ever been seen on the stage
at Margate, and the place was very full, I hoped
we should bring her a good receipt. Mrs. Crouch
most cheerfully acquiesced, and the night appointed
by the manager was the Saturday week : in the
course of the next day, the performance was an-
nounced,— " The Beggar's Opera f — Mrs. Crouch,
Polly ; myself, Macheath : every place in the house
was taken, and the whole pit, one row excepted,
railed into boxes.

Two days afterwards, looking out of my window,
who should I see, but my old friend and country-
man, Jack Johnstone, who told me he had jut

MICHAEL KELLY. 385

returned from the Federation at Paris. I men-
tioned to him that the day after the girl's benefit my
party and myself were going there ; " Egad," said
he, " I should like to make one of your party, and
go with you."

I said, " I should be delighted with your com-
pany ; but you tell me, that you are only this day
returned from Paris."

" That," said he, u makes no difference ; I shall
be ready to accompany you at an hour's warning ;
and," added he, " if you think that my playing
Mat-o'-the-Mint, for the poor girl, will be of any
use or strength to the performance, you may com-
mand my services."

The offer was most liberal and kind; for the
high rank he held in his profession, made it a con-
descension in him to play such a trivial character.
He introduced a song in the thieves' scene at the
table, which he sang admirably, and was most loudly
applauded, — a just tribute to his talents and good
nature ; indeed, the whole of the performance gave
satisfaction to as crowded an audience as ever filled
a theatre. The receipts of the house, and many
liberal presents sent to the poor girl, were by her
patronesses invested in an annuity, which produced
her at least a comfortable subsistence for the remain-
der of her life.

While at Margate, Mr. and Mrs. Crouch, and

REMINISCENCES OF

myself, were staying at the Hotel, kept by a man
whose manners were as free and easy as any I ever
met with. — He was proverbial for his nonchalance,
and a perfect master of the art of making out a bill.
One day, Johnstone dined with us, and we drank
our usual quantum of wine. In the course of the
evening, our bashful host, who, amongst other good
qualities, was a notorious gambler, forced upon us
some Pink Champagne, which he wished us to give
our opinions of. My friend, Jack Johnstone, who
never was an enemy to the juice of the grape, took
such copious draughts of the sparkling beverage,
that his eyes began to twinkle, and his speech be-
came somewhat of the thickest : — mv honest host.

on perceiving this, thinking, I suppose, to amuse
him, entered our room with a backgammon table
and dice, and asked Johnstone if he would like to
play a game. Johnstone, at that time, was consi-
dered foncl of play, of which circumstance mine host
was perfectly aware. Mrs. Crouch and I earnestly
entreated Jack to go to bed, but we could not pre-
vail upon him to do so ; he whispered me, saying,
" You shall see how I will serve the fellow for his
impudence ;" and to it they went. — The end of the
business was, that before they parted, Johnstone
won nearly two hundred pounds, and I retired to
bed delighted at seeing the biter bit. It was, what
the Cockneys call, quite refreshing.

MICHAEL KELLY. 337

On Sunday morning, in a post coach and four,
Mr. and Mrs. Crouch, Mr. M'Donnell, Johnstone,
and I set off for Dover, and went to the York
Hotel, where we were detained by contrary winds
until the Tuesday morning following. We met a
very pleasant fellow there, a friend of Johnstone's,
a Captain Barnes, who had been second to the noted
Dick England, in the duel which he fought at
Cranford Bridge with Mr. Nolles, the brewer, of
Kingston, and in which Mr. Nolles was unluckily
shot. The Captain was an Irishman, with a strong
vernacular twang, a powerful man, and remarkably
tall ; he had a man-servant not quite nine years old,
and very short for his age. He was dressed cap-a-
pie^ like a horse-jockey : — nothing could be more
diverting than to see the huge master and diminutive
servant together, going along the beach to the boat,
to get aboard the packet; — the master took long
Bobadil-like strides, and Tom was ordered to walk
behind him ; every two minutes master would stop,
and cry out, — " Tom, are you after me ?" — Tom
answered, — " Yes, Captain." The Captain, turn-
ing to me, vociferating, — " By the pipe of Leinster,
Sir, he is the first man-servant in Europe," — went
on a few steps further, then repeated, — " Tom, are
you after me?"— "Yes, Sir."— " He is the first
rider and shaver on the face of the known universal
world." In short, the Captain thought that his
VOL. i. Q

338 REMINISCENCES OF

Goliah was the first of all valets. It was such a
truly laughable scene, that when I returned from
France, and told Jack Bannister of it, it tickled his
fancy so much, that many and many an evening, to
please Lord Derby, Miss Farren, &c. &c., in the
green-room, did we enact it — Bannister on his
knees, representing Goliah ; and myself, his mas-
ter ; Bannister, with a great vein of comic humour,
made the dialogue truly amusing, as, indeed, he did
every imitation that he gave.

At Calais, we went to Dessein's, made an excel-
lent dinner, and passed the night there. We took
our route the next morning for Lisle, and got
to dinner at St. Omer. At the hotel where we dined,
the landlady told us that Madame la grande actrice
Anglaise Siddons had just dined, and quitted the
house not more than a quarter of an hour before
our arrival. I asked the landlady what she thought
of Mrs. Siddons ?— She said, she " thought her a
fine woman, and thought she made it her study to
appear like a French woman; but," added the
landlady, " she has yet much to learn before she ar-
rives at the dignity and grace of one." After this
speech I could find nothing palatable in her house.

We slept at Mont Cassel, and took the route to
Lisle, through Belleisle, — a pretty country all the
way. I was much pleased with Lisle. At this pe^
riod, part of the Irish brigade was quartered there;

MICHAEL KELLY. 339

among whom were two worthy Irishmen, and
•distinguished officers, a Colonel McCarthy, and
Major Doran, who took us to view the whole of the
fortifications, &c. There I saw Sir Watkin Lewes,
of whom it was jocularly said, that he possessed so
much military ardour, that he always slept in his
boots. The Chevalier St. George occupied apart-
ments in the same hotel with us, and favoured us
with some solos on the violin, of his own composition ;
he certainly possessed infinite skill on that instru-
ment. The Chevalier St. George, of whom I have
already spoken, was a Creole, and a man of great
abilities ; he was reckoned the finest fencer in
Europe, and an excellent equestrian : he had com-
posed a great deal of music, and was esteemed a
very fine violin player. When he came to London
with Giornovick, they attempted to carry on concerts
by subscription, but they failed. He was driven
to many schemes to recruit his finances, and, amongst
others, he had recourse to one which did not redound
to his credit. A Mr. Goddard, a noted fencing-
master, challenged him in the public newspapers to
fence at the Pantheon, which was crowded, to witness
the trial of skill; every one anticipated that St.
George would be the victor, but the reverse was
the case, — Goddard won the day.

I remember being present, and much mortified,
a€ St. George and I were intimate friends. It, how-

340 REMINISCENCES OF

ever, was supposed . afterwards, that he permitted
himself to be vanquished for the consideration of a
large sum of money ; and, like the apothecary in
Romeo and Juliet, " his poverty, and not his will,
consented." Poor St. George proved the old adage,
that,

" He, whom the dread of want ensnares,
With baseness acts, with meanness bears."

There was an excellent company of French actors
at the theatre at Lisle, to which we went both the
nights we remained there.

On Friday (an ominous day for travelling, as Mr.
Sheridan used to say), in a post coach and four we
set off for Douay. Had time permitted, I should
have liked to stop at the latter place, and visit the
College, having a feeling of affection for that seat of
learning ; inasmuch as a half-brother of mine was sent
there to be educated for the Roman Catholic priest-
hood, as well as my friends Messrs. John and Charles
Kemble, who studied there. My excellent friend,
JohnKemble, as is generally known, was intended for
a priest, but Melpomene claimed him as her darling-
son, and snatched him from the holy church, where,
perhaps, he might have become as good a Cardinal,
in reality, (and mayhap a Pope) as on the stage.
He was the best theatrical one I ever saw ; — his
Cardinal Wolsey, in Henry VIII., was a master-

MICHAEL KELLY. 341

piece. I have heard him often say, that he was
much indebted for his personification of that charac-
ter to his recollection of Digges. Of one thing I
am persuaded, from having lived for a number of
years in habits of the strictest intimacy with him,
that, from his intellectual endowments, the extent of
his mind, and the perseverance of his nature, to
whatever profession he had turned his thoughts, he
would have been a splendid ornament to it. By
those who could appreciate his talents better than
myself, he was held in the highest estimation.

We, however, were unable to stay at Douay, and
jogged merrily towards Cambray, armed, not with
pistols, but with bottles of sparkling Champagne, in
the pockets of our carriage, and we drank the health
of the inhabitants of every chateau which we passed ;
John stone and myself singing all the way, and
repeating, while we quaffed, the translation of Dr.
Aldridge's Latin epigram of Causae Bibendi.

" If on my theme I rightly think,

There are five reasons why men should drink ;
Good wine — a friend — or being dry,
Or, lest one should be by and by,
Or, any other reason why."

We got to Cambray, visited the cathedral ; a
fine structure, and then pushed on to Chantilly —
a most enchanting spot ; the avenues are finely
laid out. In going through one of them, Johnstone

342 REMINISCENCES OF

was delighted to see the partridges walking about^
as if conscious of their security. As we got to
Chantilly early in the evening, we went to view the
stables, the pride of the Prince de Conde ; our con-
ductor told us he had been brought up in the
Prince's stables from a child. — " But," said he,
"thanks to our good citizens, he is no more a
greater personage than myself, parbleu, / am now
his equal." The triumphant air of satisfaction
which the scoundrel displayed in his republican
countenance, when reciting the downfall of his
great, good, and unhappy master, actually filled
us with horror ; it seemed the ne phis ultra of
baseness, villany, and ingratitude.

In the morning, we set off for Paris, where we
had superb apartments taken for us in the Rue
Neuve St. Marc. We hired two French valets-de-
place, one called Giuseppe, and the other, Louis ;
both, though very communicative, were very re-
spectful. Louis was a strong revolutionist, which
I discovered in the following way : — The third day
after our arrival in Paris, we dined at the Palais
Royal ; — I told Louis to bring me my great coat at
ten o'clock to the Theatre Montansier ; he said he
would be there punctually. After dinner, previous
to going to the theatre, the ladies, with John stone
and myself, were sauntering about the Palais Royal,
and saw, opposite to the Cafe de Fob, a great -crowd*

MICHAEL KELLY. 343

listening attentively to an orator who was haranguing
them. We mingled with the rest, to listen, and
heard the orator uttering the most revolutionary
language, in extremely well-turned periods, and
with great fluency. Johnstone asked me if I ever
saw so strong a likeness as between the orator and
our valet-de-place, Louis ? I confessed the resem-
blance; however, we passed on, and went to the
play.

On leaving the theatre at ten oVlock, we found
Louis at the door waiting for us, with our great
coats. While he was waiting on us at supper, I
turned to him, and said, — " In the Palais Royal,
this evening, we heard a man addressing the crowd
with force and eloquence, so like you, Louis, in
person, that, had not his coat been of a different
colour to yours, I could have sworn it had been
yourself." — " Sir," said he, "you would have sworn
rightly ; it was me, though in a different coat from
that which I now wear ; I changed it before I
came to you to the theatre." — " Indeed," said I,
with surprise, " why, I engaged you as my valet-
de-place, not as a Palais Royal orator" — " Sir,"
answered my valet, " you told me you did not want
me until ten o'clock, and to be at the theatre with
your great coats, and there I was to the minute ; in
the interim, Sir, I considered my time was my own,
and I made what use of it I thought proper."

344 REMINISCENCES OF

All things considered, 1 thought it prudent to
say that he was in the right, and certainly, all the
time he was in our service, he proved himself a most
attentive servant ; and, strange to say, not spoiled
by fancying himself (when off duty), as good a man
as his masters.

We remained in Paris three weeks, and saw every
thing worth seeing, and went every night to one of
the theatres. The first night we went to the Grand
Opera, Mrs. Crouch, who was seated in a box in a
conspicuous part of the house, had the eyes of the
parterre turned on her, the audience seemingly
staring at her with displeasure, and whispering to
one another. A gentleman in the box with us ex-
plained the cause ; poor Mrs. Crouch, quite uncon-
scious of the impropriety, wore a white rose in her
hair, which was the royalist colour. She was on
thorns until she quitted the box, but met with no
insult, which was singular, considering how com-
pletely the dominion of anarchy and tumult had
brutalized the people.

There was an Italian Opera in the Faubourg
St. Germain. — Among the performers, were my
friends, Mandini, his wife, Viganoni, Rovedino,
&c. &c., who paid us every attention. We had
most agreeable parties made for us, and amongst
them, one given by the justly-celebrated actor,
Monsieur La Rive, at his house (or rather palace)

MICHAEL KELLY. 345

in the Champ de Mars. His style of living was
magnificent, and I never saw a finer dinner put
on table than his. I sat next to him, and when I
asked to be helped to any of the exquisite dishes,
he would say, " Pray do not eat of it, there's
something coming which I am sure will please
you better than any dish now on the table." This
something at last appeared, in the shape of a small
piece of half-roasted beef, not warmed through.
The good Monsieur and Madame La Rive were
astonished to see that we did not touch it, as it was
prepared purposely for us, by way of a bonne bouche.
His wines were excellent, but the treat he gave us
after dinner was delightful. This great tragedian
played all kinds of tricks to amuse us. We ad-
journed from his dinner-parlour to his spacious
library, which opened into a beautiful garden,
crowded with orange and lemon trees, &c. &c. : in
different parts of the library, hung various crowns of
laurel with which he had been presented in the
different theatres of France, where he had per-
formed, accompanied by copies of verses, eulogizing
his wonderful talents. He acted a scene of Romeo
and Juliet, by Ducis ; it was a scene where Mon-
tague (which seems to be a great character in their
play) vows vengeance and hatred to Capulet.

Never shall I forget his recitation ; — it was the
very essence of the histrionic art. Johnstone, Mrs.

346 REMINISCENCES OF

Crouch, and myself, had not words to express oar
admiration. In his library, he had a print of Mrs.
Siddons, as the Tragic Muse, from the picture by
Sir Joshua. He lamented that he had not the
gratification to be known to her personally, but
begged of me to say to her, that if she would ho-
nour him by visiting him in Paris, he would, for
the sole purpose of having her an inmate in his
house, go to Calais and meet her ; and added,
that it would be a proud day for him to embrace
so great a genius. He made me a present of a
fine print of Le Kain, the great tragedian, his pre-
decessor at the Theatre Frangais, which, on my
return to London, I gave John Kemble. I had the
satisfaction of seeing La Rive in several of his
best parts ; — one, in particular, I admired of his,
Guillaume Tell. His manner of shooting at the
apple, and the strong contrast of passions which he
exhibited, were masterly, and called down thunder-
ing plaudits from his delighted auditory.

One morning, Johnstone and I, walking in the
Palais Royal, met with the well-known Richard
England, whose name occurs before in these pages ;
he was an old acquaintance of Johnstone's, and was
living in Paris, keeping a Pharo Bank, in conjunc-
tion with the celebrated Lady Worsley, which was
frequented by the beau monde of Paris. He gave us
a sumptuous dinner, and, at his table, for the first

MICHAEL KELLY.

time I met the notorious Dr. Jackson, better known
by the name of Viper Jackson. It was said that
he broke Footers heart by the letters he wrote
against him in defence of the Duchess of Kingston.
I found him a well-informed, pleasant man, full of
anecdote, particularly about theatrical people. He
was the great friend and adviser of John Palmer,
when he had the Royalty Theatre. He was con-
sidered a great republican, and a great rebel. I
confess I thought him, from his conversation, a
dangerous man, and was fully on my guard before
him ; he put me very much in mind of the advice
of my long-tailed patron at Venice, that a silent
tongue maketh a wise head.

I went more than once to the National Assem-
bly ; Mrs. Crouch and Johnstone were present at
a great debate there, when Mirabeau defended his
brother, who was at Berlin, with great force and
eloquence, from charges brought against him.

The time however was fast approaching, at which
we were to quit Paris ; for before I left London,
Le Texier, the French reciter, had translated
Gretry^s opera of La Caravane into English. Mr.
Linley had adapted the original French music
to English poetry, and it was to be produced at the
opening of Drury Lane. — As Mrs. Crouch and
myself had principal parts in it, I was very anxious

848 REMINISCENCES OF

to see it performed at the Grand Opera at Paris,
and to make observations hovtf they got it up. I
mentioned my wish to Monsieur Gardel, and he
was so polite (though another piece was announced
to be performed) to have " The Caravan"" per-
formed, for the purpose of gratifying our curiosity.
We saw it finely acted, and the decorations and
scenery were of the most splendid description ;
we saw also the opera of " Blue Beard." " Racule
Barbe Bleue," is the French title of it: the fine
bass singer, Chenard, was famous in " Barbe
Bleue ;" and Madame Dugazzon, in Fatima, and
Mademoiselle Cretue, in Irene, were both excellent :
the music, by Gretry, was very good ; but so dif-
ferent are the tastes of a French and English
audience, that when I produced my " Blue Beard""
at Drury Lane, I did not introduce a single bar
from Gretry. Mrs. C. was struck with the subject,
and wrote down the programme of the drama, with
a view to get it dramatized for Drury Lane ; John-
stone got the music copied to bring to Mr. Harris,
at Covent Garden, and it was got up at that thea-
tre as a pantomime, I believe by Delpini ; I never
was it in that shape, but have heard that it was not
successful.

After bidding adieu to all our kind friends,
after a sojourn of six weeks, we left Paris, which I

MICHAEL KELLY. 349

quitted with great regret, as I found it all gaiety
and pleasure, and very different to Rousseau's de-
scription of it : —

Oh, Paris ! ville pleine de brouillard,
Et couverte de boue,
Ou les hommes connoisent pas 1'honneur,
Ni les femmes la vertu.

We made the best of our way, via Amiens, Abbe-
ville, Montreuil, and got safe to Boulogne, where
we were detained four days by contrary winds;
at length we got away, — had a passage of four
hours, and arrived at the York Hotel, at Dover ;
not displeased to find ourselves once more in this
free and happy country, with good old English fare
before us.

END OF VOL. I

LONDON I
PRINTED BY T. BRETTELL, RUPERT STREET, HAYMARKET.

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Full text of "Reminiscences of Michael Kelly, of the King's Theatre, and Theatre Royal Drury Lane, including a period of nearly half a century; with original anecdotes of many distinguished persons, political, literary, and musical"

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